Beautiful Tears
by ChaoticLoki
Summary: The truth about Jounouchi's abuse is revealed and he must now attend sessions with a young counselor to help cope with what happened. Any guesses as to who the counselor is? Rated for rape, angst I think , suicide, attempted suicide, swearing, and Yaoi!
1. Chapter 1

Hi there! Empathetic Apathy at your service. This plot just suddenly came to me last night and I felt the need to start a new fic, though I'm nowhere near done with the other! Well, I hope everyone enjoys. Please review and give me an _honest_ opinion as to what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

Disclaimer: *Sigh* I only dream of owning Yu-Gi-Oh so that everyone's SetoJou fantasies can come true. But it remains just that, a dream. I do not own it sadly, so instead, I write fanfiction.

* * *

Jou was sitting down outside the apartment, dreading having to go inside. When he was outside the apartment, he was the happy go lucky young boy that everyone new him to be. He couldn't ask for better friends, although they had no idea what went on behind closed doors. No one knew the truth of the horrors that he faced with his father. Nor did he want them to be aware. His problems were his own to handle, and he wasn't about to lay them on the people that he cared the most about. He would handle it as it always had, allowing himself to forget whenever he walked out his door, and then turning into a whole different person once he stepped over the threshold.

Jou looked up at the door, hesitating as he did so. Did he really have to go through that door to the hell that waited for him? He wondered what it would feel like to be one of his friends, walking into all their loved ones greeting them happily. Instead, he was walking into the elder Jounouchi who was more than likely long past drunk. After all, it was almost evening and Jou's father started out early in the morning. So he would be walking into an apartment that wreaked of alcohol, to a drunken father who he was sure wasn't letting him go straight to bed tonight. Then again, he never did. He had to have his way with Jou before there would be any thought of sleep.

He gave a sad sigh, finally getting up the courage to walk through the doorway and face the abuse he had been forced to succumb to for so long. He looked around the trashed apartment, feeling the need to clean it instantly, though he knew that any thought of cleaning would have to wait until morning. It wasn't as if he could disobey his father's orders. He was sure to end up badly injured, or maybe even dead if his father fell into a drunken rage. So for Jou, it was straight to the one bedroom in the apartment, which belonged to him. As he stared at the door separating him from what was about to happen, he felt his mind telling him to run the other way and get out of the situation. However, the more fearful part of his brain told him if he didn't go through with this, his father might track him down and finally kill him.

It was going to be a long night, Jou could feel it. He placed his hand on the knob, feeling rather reluctant to open it, but knowing that he was being left no choice. He prayed that maybe he would be met with an empty bedroom, but he already knew better. Every night since he had turned 14, his father would wait for him in his room, and once he was done, he would stagger out to the couch, leaving Jou alone to his thoughts, often crying himself to sleep. Jounouchi felt that he let it happen, that he was to blame for what was going on because he was pretty sure he could have gotten himself out of the situation had it not been for fear. This was his own fault.

He now pushed open the door and looked at the man that was currently lying on his bed, waiting for him. Jou looked everywhere else in the room, avoiding that expectant gaze for as long as he could before letting his eyes fall upon the elder Jounouchi. He let out another sigh, one that signaled he knew what was about to come. He wished at the moment that he could just suddenly disappear, but that was not how life worked. Instead, he saw those eyes looking him up and down and heard the cold and mocking voice that reminded him so much of a certain billionaire.

"Strip mutt."

Jou nodded and did as he was told, looking at the ground. He didn't want to think about what was to come next, and so he pretended that he was alone in the room and just getting ready to go to sleep, instead of getting ready to submit to the drunken mess that was now watching him with lustful eyes. He pulled his shirt over his head, and thn unbuttoned his pants, quickly pulling his boxers down with them. He didn't turn to face his father, but closed his eyes as he knew what would come next. It always did.

His father rose from the bed and walked over to the 16 year old that stood before him, circling him as if he was a vulture. Jou kept his eyes closed even as the stench of alcohol drew nearer, and he pretended that it was someone else looking him over… Anyone else. He needed to get out of here before his father had a chance to do what he was more than likely already fantasizing about, however his fear kept him frozen in place. Instead, he allowed those large cold hands to wander over him, for his father to explore just like every other night. No matter how badly he wanted to run, he was trapped.

He felt a hand tracing a bit of his torso while the other trailed down his back and to his ass, groping as he did so. Jou squeezed his eyes shut, wanting to disappear from that spot and reappear anywhere. He didn't give a damn, as long as it was far away from the abuse that he suffered. He was aware of mentally strong he truly was, as he had long suffered from this man, but had dealt with it, the only thing really keeping him sane was the fact that he would see his friends again in the morning.

The blonde had often thought about running away, but had nowhere to go. He didn't want to plague his friends with such a burden. It was his alone to carry. So he pretended, even as his father sucked harshly at the soft skin on his neck, that he was at the hands of a lover instead of a heartless rapist. However, Jounouchi was not aware of what a lover's touch felt like, never having been in love himself, so even as he imagined everything else away, the cold touch brought on by the hands laying themselves all over him still made him shiver.

* * *

Kaiba looked out the window of the home office, feeling as if he had just been hit by a mac truck. He hadn't been sleeping properly lately, if at all, and he felt that he was coming down with something. Talk about a workaholic. He didn't have time for such petty things as sleeping and eating. He needed to be sure that the company was on its feet at all times. However, if he didn't rest at least a little, he would come down with something, so Seto reclined the chair he was now sitting in and closed his eyes, allowing himself a much needed slumber, although it would only last a couple of hours.

When he woke, it was about 9pm, which meant that he needed to get back to work. The nap he had just taken had been refreshing, but he had no more time to be lazy. Instead, he hit the button on the intercom and instantly heard a maid's voice. He asked for a coffee, then looked back at the stats that sat before him. There was still so much work to be done, and he needed all the energy he could get. He also needed to go by the office at some point tonight, and so he took one last glance at the things before him before opening the door, grabbing the coffee from his maid with a mumbled thanks, and heading downstairs to the car. He didn't want to bother his driver at this time of night, so he would drive to KaibaCorp himself.

Seto gave a deep sigh, looking for the keys in every pocket he had before realizing he had left them inside. He walked back into the mansion and searched for another 45 minutes before he succeeded in finding them. The only problem with the house being so big was that Kaiba often found it hard to find things when they turned up missing, though he suspected that sometimes it was Mokuba's doing, like his journal. It had just vanished one day only to reappear at the desk in his bedroom. And after that, Mokuba never stopped hounding him about his love life. Why the hell had he written down that he was lonely in the first place? It wasn't like the great Seto Kaiba made time for anyone. No, he would rather be alone then have another person on his hands to worry about. At least, that was what he told himself. Mokuba knew differently.

He glanced down at his watch, realizing how late it was getting. If he didn't hurry, he would have to wait until morning, so he hopped in the car and headed straight for the large building in the middle of the city that was KaibaCorp. When he arrived he let out a relieved sigh and walked in, going up to the top floor to retrieve the paperwork he had come here for. Once he had that he would be able to finish his work, and then perhaps he could spend tomorrow afternoon with his little brother… That was, if his desk hadn't already been more piled up with paperwork that needed examining. Seriously, he swore sometimes that his employees did that just to spite him.

He made sure he had everything he needed before heading back down to the car. Looking around, Kaiba almost felt as if he was being watched, although there was no one else on the streets at the moment. He got into his car and turned it on, ready to head home for the night. He pulled out of the space slowly and took his time picking up speed. At the moment he was half paying attention to the road and fumbling through paperwork, trying to find the things that he needed the most so that he could put them on top and get started on them right away when he got home. And while he was looking down at the paperwork, he didn't even realize the set of headlights that were on the other side of the road. He wasn't paying close enough attention, and allowed the wheel to turn just a bit too much. Only when he felt the impact of his car hitting the other did it dawn on him. He had just caused an accident.

* * *

Jou looked at the man that was hovering over him now, waiting for the moment when he would push him onto the bed. He hoped against all hope that perhaps the drunken idiot would forget about him for even just one night so that he might be allowed to rest without having to think about what had just happened and why, for the billionth time, he hadn't run away. His gaze caught his father's eye and he looked back at him, a smirk playing onto his lips. That was when Jounouchi knew that he was going to be forced to suffer yet again at the hands of this man.

He felt his father's hand groping him harshly, and then felt himself being pushed downwards onto his stomach. His father was now positioned above him, and he bent over, whispering into Jou's ear as he did so. Jou shivered at the words, wishing that the other man would just get off of him and leave. Why did he have to feel so helpless? And why did his father have to say that every time?

"_You look so much like her Katsuya."_

He waited and soon felt the intruding fingers poking their way slowly into his entrance. His body tensed as his father invaded him, and he wished once more that he would just disappear. He felt warmth against the sensitive skin of his neck, and then the harsh sucking, just like before as his father left marks all over him. It was a good thing that he was able to cover them up with his hair and his uniform, or his friends might question what they were from.

He felt his father's hand traveling down his stomach and then make it's way up the shaft and slowly cover the tip of his cock. He wasn't erect. He wasn't aroused by this, by what his father was doing. As a matter of fact, Jou was pretty sure that he had never become erect from his father's touch. His father didn't really seem to care as long as Jou obliged when given an order, as he was doing now. He was afraid that if he didn't, he might suffer at the hands of the elder Jounouchi.

He felt his father enter him sometime later, but zoned out, not wanting to feel it or know that it was his own father doing it to him. He always zoned out, and that didn't seem to bother the elder Jounouchi either. Jou didn't even know what he did while he spaced, whether or not he moved or struggled, or even let out a moan here or there. He didn't know, and he didn't want to know. He just wanted it to be over so that he could cry himself to sleep once more.

It ended finally after an hour of his father pumping in and out of him. Jou felt relief take him over as his father pulled out of him, stroking his sides one last time before retreating into the living room for the night. He was finally alone, and only now did he the tears to fall freely. He didn't want anyone to ever see him crying. As usual, Jou cried himself right to sleep. He was glad, because at least in sleep he was able to escape.


	2. Chapter 2

Well, here is chapter 2! I can't believe how long it turned out! I'm kind of excited about this as it's the longest chapter I've ever written, and I enjoyed writing it, no matter how much it sucks.

Warning: Some limey stuff (oh yes, citrus will be involved!), and squeaky voices plotting against Seto Kaiba! Also, possible suicide and suicide attempts, and angst. Plus m/m relationships and lots of yaoi! So readers be warned. This authoress is slightly crazy.

Kaiba: Slightly?

*Evil Glare that is equivalent to Kaiba's*

Kaiba: *Backs away*

Anyways, please read and review. Cookies for all who do! Now, to the chapter!

* * *

Jou was still curled up under his blankets, his body bruised from the events that had taken place the night before. He had slept at least 2 hours past his alarm clock, having turned it off the first time he heard it. He really couldn't be bothered to go to school at the moment, especially considering how crappy he really felt. His head was hurting, as well as his body, and when he sat up, he felt like he was on fire. And of course, on top of it all, he had to deal with the man who had done the deed that had him in for it. He wished that if anything, he could just avoid his father for, say, the rest of his life maybe? The blonde gave a deep sigh, wanting for this to just be bad dream that he would wake up from at any moment. Unfortunately, real life didn't work like that.

He was laying on his stomach, and as much as he would rather be in any other position right now, he was too weak to move. He didn't know why, but the act of sitting up just that once had taken what little strength he had left. It was strange, as he had never experienced these side effects before. He blew out a puff of air and looked out the window. It had been raining for the past few weeks in Domino now, and of course, he had been fine then. But now that he was feeling slightly under the weather, the sun was out, beckoning for one to step outside into the warm summer air. This, of course, was just Jou's luck.

It was irritating that the weather seemed to be against him, as well as just about everything else, though he supposed that things could always get worse. Of course they could, but still, it really sucked. He finally managed to turn over, but his body was physically drained by the act of doing so, and so he found himself sleeping once more. He hoped that this would be one of the mornings when his father wouldn't come to him once more, looking for a repeat of the night before. There were times in the morning when he got really lucky, and times when it seemed that the only thing he could do was close his eyes and imagine somewhere else and/or someone else, even as his father's drunken breath filled his nose.

Soon, the door slowly creaked open, and Jou found himself face to face with the man he had been dreading so very much, but somehow, he was different. The eyes that looked down at him weren't tainted by alcohol that was usually running thick through his veins by this time of day. As a matter of fact, it seemed that the scent had almost completely vanished off the man, and he looked at his son with sorrowful eyes. Jou felt confused at the sympathetic look he was receiving, wondering why his father was so suddenly feeling regret after a full two years. The blonde let out a depressed sigh and looked away, not wanting any reminders of what had happened the night before. However, no matter where he looked, there was always something to remind him of the deed that had been done once again.

His father continued to gaze upon him from the doorway, which was now making Jou uncomfortable. Why couldn't the other man just go away. He didn't care how long for. Maybe he would luck out and it would be forever. But, as if the man had read his thoughts and chosen to defy him completely, he stood rooted in his spot, that sorrowful gaze focusing on Jou's back. The blonde wondered what was going through his old man's mind. Mostly, he wondered if the guilt reflected in those brown eyes was really there, or if Jounouchi Sr. was feigning it. His son wouldn't be surprised if it was the latter. Finally, he turned again to face his father, feeling a ton of energy drain from him directly afterwards.

"Can I help you?"

"Katsuya…" The voice was heavy, as if it was carrying a great burden. "Son, I'm sorry."

"I don't believe that for a minute. Why would _you_ be sorry?"

"Katsuya, do you think I _wanted_ to do those things to you?"

"Well, I'm not convinced otherwise."

They argued back and forth like this for a few minutes before Jou got really flustered and went to get up. He instantly regretted it as a repeat of what sitting up earlier had done ensued. He felt really dizzy now, and very warm. What the hell was wrong with him? He laid back down on his bed, wanting to get out of there, but incapable of doing so. Instead, he chose to glare at his father, wishing that the man would simply take his leave. And if he never came back, that might not be so bad either, though somehow the blonde seriously doubted that he could ever be so lucky.

"Katsuya, one of your friends called earlier. They will be over in the next hour or two to see you. I figured that I would let you know. I am going to be out looking for a job."

"Yeah right, like you even have enough brain cells to fill out an application for a job anymore." Jou never looked up from his blankets, but if he had, he would have seen the pain and regret reflected on his father's face. He might have understood that his father had come to a sudden realization the night before, and that even though it was impossible to change overnight, he needed to get his life back on track. No more alcohol all day long while his son went to school and worked to support them. And no more having his way with the boy. Katsuya already hated him as it was. He couldn't stand the idea of his son loathing his entire being, of not being able to love him because he had been so stupid. With a small sigh, he exited the apartment, hoping that maybe he could find a way to make their life better than what it was now, and Jou was alone, awaiting the arrival of his friends. He couldn't just lay there on the bed like he had been doing for so long now. He needed to get up, shower, and clean up before they got there, as well as hide any traces of what had happened the night before.

With a small sigh, he picked himself up for the third time that morning, this time slowly so that he would not get the same reaction that he had received the previous two times. Once he was on his feet, he made his way to the shower, partially supporting himself on the walls as he went along so that he would not collapse. His knees were weak and kept buckling under the weight that he was putting on them, and his body from his lower back down was extremely sore. This was often how he woke up after a night with that horrid drunken bastard, unable to walk properly, too weak to fully support himself. And if he thought he had been sore while lying in bed, he was sadly mistaken. That was only a preview of what it was going to be like for him to walk for the next week. And on top of it, he was sure that he would be in for another round tonight. If only he could escape from that man… Such thoughts were only wishful thinking, but that didn't mean that he couldn't still pretend that it was possible. After all, false hope was pretty much what Jou had lived his life on thus far.

It took some time, but he finally made it to the shower, reaching in while still leaning against the wall for support, and turning the knob far enough to make the water warm. He put his hand underneath it, waiting to feel the temperature rise, and then he began to strip himself, careful never to lean too far away from the wall, as he still hadn't regained much strength. It looked like it would have to be a bath today, as he didn't want to slip in the shower. So instead, Jou let the tub fill up a slight bit before slowly sitting down and relaxing in the warm liquid. He put his head back for a minute, looking up at the ceiling and thinking about what his life might be like with his father out of the picture.

He saw a carefree and happy young teenager that was able to truly enjoy the years he had left of adolescence before he was to become an adult. He was truly happy, instead of using that fake smile that was often directed towards his friends. He had often wondered if they could actually see through it and just kept quiet, or if the grin was enough to make them oblivious. He dreaded the day when he would finally have to explain what had really gone on behind closed doors, as it was not something that he was yet ready to discuss yet, and probably would not be for a very long time. He would rather pretend to be the carefree Jou that his friends knew him as, even if only for just a little longer.

He sat up now in the water and pulled his knees to his chest, resting his chin upon them as he stared at his reflection. Often times he had wondered why he had not been strong enough to stop that man from assaulting him in such ways, but it seemed like each time he tried to muster up the strength, his body would become even weaker. He had given up the fight about a year ago, when he had turned fifteen, deciding that he needed to reserve his strength for waking up the next day. He was always in bad shape the next morning, but he had learned to clean himself up pretty well, making it easy to escape an interrogation from his friends about what might have happened. And on top of the fact that his might seemed no match against his father's lust, fear always gripped him, compelling him to do his father's bidding. It was mostly because of one time, when he had struggled with all his being against the other man. It was the one time he had almost broken free. And that one time had nearly cost him his life.

-Flashback-

_Jou had just walked in the door, and noted that it badly wreaked of alcohol in the apartment. So apparently the elder Jounouchi had been drinking more heavily than usual, as the stench was about ten times stronger than normal. The blonde rolled his eyes, walking up to the drunken heap halfway on the couch and looking down at him in disgust. Why, of all people, did he have to be the one to be cursed with such a cruel person as his parent. He often wished that his mother had taken him, however that had not been the case. Instead, he had to live with this man, who would probably die of alcohol poisoning before Jou's eighteenth birthday. Of that, he was almost positive._

_Suddenly, the other person moved, and he could see the somewhat glazed eyes. His father had definitely had a few too many. Jou gave a sigh, grabbing on of the man's arms to help him back up onto the couch properly so that he could at least be comfortable. However, at the realization that his son was home, Jounouchi Sr. had thought of a different activity. He grabbed Jou in a strong grip, and without a single word, brought him to the bedroom, stumbling over himself now and then. It had only been about a year now since Jou had started dealing with the sexual abuse, however, he fought his father with every fiber of his being during every nightly encounter. One of these days the blonde would get it across that he wasn't some toy for his father to mess with, and he planned for it to be sooner, rather than later. He looked over at the other man who was gripping his wrist tightly, and gave him the deadliest glare that he could muster. But his father seemed unaffected by it._

_He threw his son on the bed, smiling a drunken smile as he clumsily pulled off his shirt and pants. His eyes were now pregnant with lust, and his mind was clouded with the poison that he had been consuming all day long. It didn't matter if he hurt Jounouchi, not all. All he wanted was his nightly screw, and he could care less where he got it from. And so, the rape ensued, but not without one hell of a fight. _

_His father had watched him like a hawk while he had stripped, just as always, standing at the side of the bed. Then he had gotten up, commencing with their nightly ritual. However, when he had pushed Jou down onto the bed, the blonde had done his best to crawl away. It was only another moment before he felt strong hands pulling somewhat painfully on his hips. One he was back where his father wanted him, he felt two hands on his inner thighs, pushing them apart from behind,. It happened before Jou had really even realized what he was doing. His elbow suddenly made contact with his father's side, hitting the older man directly in the ribs. He heard the cry of pain and took that as his cue to escape. Jou had quickly crawled out from under the other man and now stood straight up beside the bed, gathering his clothes and getting ready to book it when a strong hand wrapped around his thin right wrist and yanked him back. He let out a pained cry as he landed back down on his bed._

_His father now held him down by his wrists, putting so much pressure on them that the circulation was quickly cut off. Jou let out a loud sob, trying to come up quickly with another plan of escape. He couldn't allow this man to get the better of him, not again. So when the drunkard leaned in closer to Jou, he saw his chance and took it. He aimed for the shoulder now above him and bit down hard, drawing blood as he did so. Another pained cry followed, and Jou made a second attempt to escape. His father was faster to recover this time though, and grabbed him by the ankle, dragging his son back underneath him. Before Jou knew what was happening next, a glass bottle hit the side of his head. He didn't even know where the bottle had come from, but one thing was for sure. He had just really pissed his father off. He didn't count how many more blows to the head he took that night, but noted that only some were from the beer bottle, while others were dished out with a fist. It wasn't long before everything had gone black. When he woke up the next morning, he could tell that Jounouchi Sr. had certainly continued with his original intentions. His body was extremely sore._

_It was another moment before he realized that he didn't recognize his surroundings. This bed was slightly less comfortable that his own and there was an annoying beeping sound somewhere off at his side. Finally his somewhat hazy vision fully cleared, and the gang came into view. They all looked rather worried, but he noticed relief taking over their features when they finally saw that he was awake. He was wondering how long they had been waiting here, and seeing as he was in a hospital, a fact that the heart monitor had given away, how exactly they had known where to find him. But before he could ask them a single question, they were upon him with questions of their own._

"_Jou, what the hell happened," Honda asked, looking concerned in his own way._

"_Oh, that's a real nice greeting you idiot," Anzu remarked to Honda, who just gave her a not so effective glare in return. But it was Yugi who's question he answered._

"_How are you feeling Jou," the spiky haired teen asked him, eyes even wider than usual, and showing concern._

"_Eh, I feel like I just got hit my a stinking semi," was Jou's short reply. _

"_Your father said you got into a pretty bad fight last night outside the apartment building. You were close to dead when he found you," Honda looked down, his expression now showing more concern than it had before. Jou thought about it for a few moments before the true events that had taken place the night before came back to him. So his father had nearly killed him from the sounds of it. Pity, it would have been a major relief to never have to suffer again as he had at the hands of that man. Then again, no matter how many bad cards life handed him, Jou was strong. It was pretty obvious that he had mixed emotions about the near loss of his life._

"_Yeah, there were some thugs looking for money, and of course I didn't have any, so I got the crap kicked out of me… Didn't realize how much damage they did though, well until now anyways."_

"_Well of course you didn't. You were probably unconscious halfway through the beating," Yami now piped up from behind Yugi, speaking matter-of-factly. _

"_True, but you know what I mean." They all nodded, and then looked back at him, Honda with the biggest grin ever._

"_Well, we ordered pizza, and we saved a couple slices for you." He pulled them out and put them on a plate for Jou, who looked at them hungrily. He was rather thankful that his friends had thought to save him some, as opposed to making him eat the hospital food. This hospital had some of the worst food around, which was a pretty well known fact. And of course, his good for nothing father probably would have gone and got himself something and sat there eating in front of Jou while the teen watched with hungry eyes. He got to chat casually with his friends for a time before his father waltzed through the door, giving them a smile and putting on a show as he always did in front of them._

"_All right guys, and girls of course. Katsuya needs to rest now. You can come and see him again tomorrow." They all looked at the elder Jounouchi and nodded, most of them with smiles, however, Yami was another story. He knew what really went on behind closed doors, as he had once decided to enter into Jou's mind and find out for himself. He had never revealed it to Jou or to the others that he knew, as he felt that the story was not his to tell. But sooner or later, something had to be done, especially before such an incident as this occurred again, or possibly even worse, resulting in Jou losing his life. Thugs were a good story for the part of Domino that the pair lived in, however, after finding out the elder Jounouchi's true nature, it was simply a poor excuse for what had really gone on. As much as Yami had wanted to, he hadn't invaded Jou's thoughts this time, already knowing what he would find if he did, yet feeling somewhat fearful to confirm his suspicions._

_Yes, that time, Jou had almost lost his life to the drunken lunatic known as his father. The man had acted like nothing had happened between them like that in the hospital in order to cover his own tracks, but when he had come home with his son, it had been back to their 'happy' old routine. Since then, the blonde hadn't dared to defy his father, knowing full well that this time, he might not be so luck y to wake up in a hospital bed. He had simply gone along with orders, even after a full year had passed._

-End Flashback-

He sighed once more, looking again at his reflection. He always felt dirty and disgusting, and no amount of scrubbing ever removed that feeling. On top of that fact, he believed that somehow this was his fault, that he had to have done something to provoke these attacks, although deep down he knew that this wasn't true. His actions always spoke against it, but his father never seemed to care much. Instead he just went about, doing as he pleased, not thinking about how Jou was going to feel when he was done. If it was possible, the blonde felt worse this morning than he had ever before. It was as if the same thing had happened one hundred times over, making him feel like no more than grime that was walked upon every day by the dirtiest shoes in the city. And what made that worse was that he would not be able to wash that feeling away. He was stuck with it, possibly forever.

His reflection spoke wonders about his thoughts. His eyes were outlined with red rims, a mix from him crying last night and his fatigue from not sleeping enough, having to wake up so early. His hair was more disheveled than usual, which he was pretty sure that the bath would fix. On his neck were marks from what most people called "love bites", although he looked at them as the greatest reminder of the unpleasant experience. He put his right index finger up to one, pressing it lightly. A small bit of pain shot through his neck as he did so, and he pulled his hand away from it. He was thankful that his hair was so long and unruly. It did a really good job of hiding all the marks.

From there, he looked down at his lower body, namely his legs. They were covered with bruises, though he really didn't know which part of the night they had come from. That was the beauty of zoning out night after night. As much as you knew what happened, you wouldn't remember a thing. And that was the only reason that Katsuya could live with himself and what had happened. He didn't recall the events, and so it was as if they were no more than a nightmare, however a nightmare that left marks all over his being, reminding him that he let it happen once again. And that mindset never seemed to change, no matter how much he tried to reason with himself that there was nothing he could do about it. The fact always remained that he had let it happen, plain and simple.

After some deep thinking, something that had actually become quite common for Jou, he got to washing himself. By now, the water was only lukewarm, but it would simply have to do. That was what he got for finally discovering his brain. He pulled down the soap and shampoo, and about twenty minutes later, he had finally finished cleaning up. Once he was finished, he stood up and turned on the shower, standing under it for a couple of minutes to wash all the excess crap off of him. After all, it was common knowledge that you should rinse yourself off in the shower after soaking for a while in the bathtub.

He grabbed a towel, covering his lower half with it before heading into his bedroom. He didn't feel as sore as he had when he first woke up, but his body was far from healing fully. And it was almost a guarantee that it would not have the chance to do so, because his father would be back tonight, more than likely having drank away all the money Jou had earned once again, and he would come home, have his way with his son, and then pass out once more. Jou had a hard time believing that his old man had actually gone out to find a job. He was probably at a bar, indulging as much as he wanted without his son there to "control" his intake.

Jou shook the thoughts from his head and went into his room to get ready for school… Then something dawned on him. Today was Saturday, and there was no school on Saturdays. And even if there had been school, he had slept _way_ past his alarm clock. Apparently he hadn't kept track of the days as well as he thought he had. Instead of grabbing his school uniform, he grabbed a pair of blue jeans and a blue and white shirt. It meant that he had a day off, which he could spend with his friends, away from this hell known as his apartment. Maybe they could hang out at the game shop or just wonder aimlessly around Domino until some lunatic popped up that wanted to take over the world. There seemed to be lots of them lately.

Jou was just glad that he would be distracted from what went on here. He wasn't about to let it rule his life, and so he would go and do his best to be the carefree teen that his friends knew him as… Even if he was still kind of sore. Upon thinking about it, he really hoped that Anzu didn't tag along too. He didn't want to deal with her right now, as she had a way of annoying him until he was on his very last nerve. Then again, he was pretty sure that she did that to all of them. Just at that moment, something popped up in his memory. She was studying abroad in America now, which meant that not only was she not available to annoy the hell out of the gang, but she was on the other side of the world, while they were in Domino, Japan. Relief ran through his body, not only from the fact that the brunette was about as far away as she could get, but that he wasn't getting a headache from his brain working overtime.

He heard a knock at the door and yelled that he would be there in just a minute. He had just thrown his underclothes on maybe five seconds ago and was now working on putting on his pants while hopping towards the door on one foot. Finally he had slid them over one leg, and then he did the same with the other leg, however he lost his balance and fell over. From outside you could hear curses that no one even knew existed being muttered in languages Jou didn't even realize that he knew. Finally, once his pants were buttoned and zipped, he threw on his shirt and pulled back the door, greeting his friends with a dorky grin… Or, as his took him less than a second to process, friend. Only Yami stood there, looking rather serious, and Jou could just feel the hairs standing up on his neck. The Pharaoh looked like he meant business, but he also had a gentle expression upon him, so that it would not make Jou even more uncomfortable. Something needed to be done and soon, but there was no one for Jou to talk to, and suddenly Yami had felt the need to at least make himself available to the blonde for a long chat.

"Jou, I thought that we should talk. Just one on one. I… I had a certain subject in mind…" Jou nodded, feeling the color in his face drain. He knew why Yami was here. As much as he had tried to lie to himself, telling himself that it was just a dream, he remembered when the Pharaoh had entered his mind, looking into the deepest and darkest depths and at all of his secrets. He had understood that Yami was just very worried about him, and at the time he had been acting a little different, as the nightly "sessions" had just started, but he couldn't help feeling that his privacy was being invaded.

"All right, but… Can we talk somewhere else?" Jou looked at the floor, not wanting to make eye contact just yet because he was afraid that the Pharaoh would be able to see straight into all the pain, hurt, and anger that was lingering within his soul. Yami was aware of these emotions, which were present in Jou's aura, but he didn't want to pry. He wanted to make sure that they were somewhere that the blonde could feel comfortable, so he nodded, a smile playing it's way onto his lips.

"Sure, we could go out for coffee or lunch. Yugi and Honda are busy at the shop helping Grandpa, so they won't mind if we take a little while." Jou smiled, giving a victory sign. He went and grabbed his coat before heading out the door behind Yami, glad that the Pharaoh was not going to force them to stay here while he and Jou talked about what had going on. After all, Jou couldn't be sure what time his father would stumble into the apartment, and he didn't want Yami to see that, even if he already knew about it. So instead, they decided to go a popular café near Jou's apartment, where they could sit down and relax, and maybe be at least a little more comfortable.

They made their way across the street, walking down a sidewalk to a small place known as Café on the Corner. Here they could sit comfortably and have a private conversation over coffee, or in Jou's case tea, and lunch. Upon entering, the smell of baked sweets hit their nose and Jou couldn't help but smile, until something dawned on him.

"Uh, Yami, who's paying?"

"I've got it Jou. I have some money put aside that I can afford to break into for this," Yami replied with a smile.

"Hey, thanks man. I'll pay next time." Jou gave a bright smile, and then walked up to the counter, looking at the menu, which was rather American. "Uh, I'll take a green tea and a tuna melt please. It's under Jounouchi." Jou waited for Yami to order and then they went and grabbed a seat together. Obviously, it took a few minutes to prepare the food, and while waiting, the boys got all the usual pleasantries aside. They went up to get their orders when their names were called, then sat back down at the table they had chosen. Yami decided to let them eat a bit before pushing the subject of Jou's father.

After about fifteen minutes, both boys were finding it hard to keep their mouths shut, be it food or conversation, and Yami just had to say something. He didn't want to be too straightforward just yet. He preferred to ease his friend into the subject so that the conversation might go a bit more smoothly. He thought about it for a minute, closing his eyes and letting out a sigh. He needed to come up with the right way to approach the subject, but doing so was easier said than done. Another couple of minutes for thought, and the answer might dawn on him. And if this was a cartoon, a light bulb would have just appeared over Yami's head, for he had come up with a rather brilliant way of going about the discussion.

"Well Jou, the reason I brought you here today was to talk about your living situation… Namely, your father." Jou was looking down at his tea and sandwich, not ready to make eye contact with the person that sat across from him. He didn't need to be told twice why the Pharaoh had come alone today, instead of bringing the rest of the gang as usual.

"Let's just straight to the point Yami." So much for the Pharaoh's idea of easing into it. He nodded and cleared his throat, getting ready to delve into a deep and probably painful conversation for Jou.

"Well, a while back, I had gone inside your mind. I know that I did not ask and I had no right, so I apologize in advance Jou. But what I found there has bothered me since. Your father has… He has been raping you pretty much every night since you… turned fourteen… That was what I saw within. After that secret was revealed, I remember walking around a bit, seeing if I could find out just a little bit more information, though it was not my place to do so. However, I remember after wandering for some time, coming across you, squatting, supported by the wall behind you, looking scared and otherwise emotionless. Was that caused by him as well Jou?" Jou gave a slight nod.

"Yeah… I remember seeing you that time, and then, when I saw the way you looked at my old man afterwards, I knew that it had been more than just a dream. I'm sorry…"

"Sorry for what Jou?"

"Well, it's my fault that I let him do all those things… He hurt me, but I let it happen. And I can't help thinking that I probably did something to provoke it… I don't know what, but-" Right then, Jou was cut off by the ancient spirit.

"It is not your fault that your father is a perverted old man that cannot control his lust. Don't ever blame yourself for his wrongdoing. Jou, you've done nothing wrong. It is simply the fact that he is a disgusting person that has committed one of the worst acts against his own child."

"I know Yami… I understand that it's not my fault, but sometimes I just… I just feel like it is. Kind of like when something bad happens to someone you love and you think about all these things you might have done to prevent it from happening. In the back of my mind, I know that I've done nothing wrong, but I just can't help feeling like I have." Yami nodded at that statement, understanding perfectly where Jou was coming from. When Yugi had taken the hit from the Orichalcos seal, the Pharaoh had felt the deepest regret for what he had done. However, the difference between that situation and this one was that losing his hikari had truly been his fault. Though Jou was blaming himself for everything that had happened between him and his father, he was not the responsible party.

"Jou, I've been worrying because you've been changing. Yugi's noticed it a little bit as well, and I promised him that I would come and talk to you a bit about it today. My friends are important to me, especially you, and I want you to know that if you need me, I am always here. And so is Yugi."

"Has Honda noticed too," Jou asked as he stared at the table.

"Honda's as oblivious to everything as the day he was born. He has noticed slightly, but he figures you probably just have a crush or have been love struck, seeing as that's how he gets when that happens to him. So yes, he has noticed, however, he is not aware of the reasoning. Yugi isn't either, but he is definitely suspicious. He noticed some of the bruises on your arm as well as the marks on your neck the other day at school. You do a good job covering him up, but my hikari can be very observant."

"So Yugi suspects it then… I suppose I can't hide the truth from them forever… But I don't think I'm ready to tell them just yet. I wasn't exactly expecting to be talking to you about it so soon either."

"Sorry if it feels like I attacked you Jou, but I've been worried about you."

"I know. I could tell from the way you kept on eying me every time we hung out. But I'm okay."

"I don't believe that for a second Jounouchi. If you had seen yourself the way I saw you that time, you would agree with me. I think that once you are ready to talk about it, it would be good to tell the others. They are also your friends and they would never think any differently of you." Jou nodded, a sad smile now his expression. He knew that Yami was right, but how was he supposed to go about such a sensitive subject with his friends, especially when he could already anticipate Honda's reaction. He wasn't one to take such things lightly. And on top of it, he wasn't sure if he wanted Ryou and Bakura to know just yet, although they had become closer friends since they had been spending much more time with the group. The tomb robber had a way of making things seem… slightly unpleasant. He wondered what Kaiba would say if he could hear the conversation between the two boys right now. Probably something along the lines of 'well, that's what mutts seem to be good for these days'. After all, that man could turn anything into a dog joke. For a moment, Jou wondered why that damned brunet had suddenly popped into his thoughts, but he dismissed it, deciding that it was nothing really of importance to him.

"I know I need to tell them, but I'm just not ready for their reactions. And it really wouldn't be fair if I told one of them and not the others. I think I just need some time to come to terms with what's happened and then I might be more comfortable talking about it."

"Jou, I'm also a bit worried because they plan on confronting you today."

"So then I'll admit that's something's wrong and just let them know that I'm not ready to talk about it yet. I think that they'll understand that and I'm pretty sure they won't pry." The Pharaoh nodded at this, giving a genuine smile to Jou as he did so. He knew that his friend was very strong, and that he was also a proud person, which meant that he had a hard time admitting weakness.

"I think you're right Jou. So, we'll head to the game shop after this then?"

"Yeah, you bet!" Jou was now feeling a bit more relaxed and was able to enjoy the rest of his food. They chatted a bit more, going from subject to subject as they did so, and finishing up their food and drinks. It was nice to be able to have a hot cup of green tea, as it had been so long since the last time he was able to enjoy it. It was very refreshing, refueling his body and making him forget about the exhaustion and fatigue he had suffered from earlier. Herbal green tea was very good for that. Once they were finished, they brought their trash over to the bins and headed out the door, walking towards the shop.

Jou was somewhat nervous about the confrontation that he knew would be coming, but he knew that it was going to happen sooner or later. He hoped that they wouldn't push him for too many answers just yet, as he was not ready to give them. He just wanted a nice, quiet day with his friends before he had to go back to hell that night, that was all. And it looked like he was going to get his wish. On top of it, today was only Saturday, so he didn't have school again for another day and a half. This meant that he still had plenty of time to attempt his homework, and if he had a hard time figuring out what he was doing, like he usually did, then he would just call Yugi and ask. As Jou lost himself in his thoughts, Yami suddenly spoke up.

"So Jou, how are you feeling anyways?" Jou gave a sigh.

"All right I guess. He was pretty hard on me last night from what I can tell anyways.

"What do you mean by that," Yami replied curiously.

"Well, whenever he does it, I zone out and then I have no idea what happened. The only proof that anything happened last night are the soreness and the marks all over me. Otherwise, I really have no clue what went on. I learned to do it about a month after that time I ended up in the hospital. You remember that, right?" To this, Yami nodded. The image of Jou laying in that hospital bed beaten, bruised, and broken was still fresh in the Pharaoh's mind. He would probably never forget that.

"Well, I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing that you handle it in such a way, but I suppose that it could be worse… My only worry is that you might start to remember everything and it'll send your mind into a state of shock." Jou just smiled, looking down at the pavement beneath his feet. He knew that it was like Yami to worry often, especially about the people that were close to him. Still, the blonde couldn't help but feel that his personal space was being invaded, if only a little.

He continued on, walking next to the Pharaoh and just chatting lightly until they came to the game shop. He couldn't help but let out a soft sigh as he looked through the doors to see the rest of the gang eagerly awaiting their arrival. So much for a nice relaxing day to help him forget. It looked like he would be explaining himself today whether he liked it or not. He just hoped that they wouldn't ask him too many questions. He really wasn't up for answering them.

* * *

Seto Kaiba was currently sitting inside a small café, taking his time on a cappuccino and a bagel. Last night had turned out to be one hell of a night for him, and he just needed something to boost his energy. He was still irritated about the fact that he had taken his attention off the road, only to end up causing an accident. It was his own fault for taking his eyes off the road when he should have been paying attention to where he was driving. Yet instead, he had insisted on looking over his paperwork to see how much more he could get done. After the accident, he had spent most of the night at the station, filling out reports and the like. He had barely enough time to get a decent sleep, and the paperwork was still waiting to be done. After getting an hour's worth of sleep, he had to get up and get to work, although Mokuba had tried to get him to stay home. Instead, Seto was sitting in a small café, laptop out, working twice as hard to try to make up for lost time. It was easier to concentrate here than in his office. As he stared at the screen, scenes from the night before kept popping into his head.

-Flashback-

_Seto didn't realize what was going on until it was too late. His vehicle was soon meeting with the other, and upon impact, he was thrown slightly forward. He could tell from the way that they had hit that this was only a minor accident, which meant that more than likely, no one hadn't gotten hurt except for a mild case of whiplash. He looked up at the roof, cursing every god and goddess known to man for this run of bad luck, as he had been hoping to finish up the paperwork tonight so that he might be able to take a day for himself tomorrow. He seriously couldn't remember the last time he had been given a day off._

_After taking a moment to think, he got out of the car to make sure that the other person was all right. At the same time, she had gotten out of her car, and other than being a bit shaken, she had seemed fine. Mentally, he had breathed a sigh of relief, though on the outside, he kept his cool air about him. Seto wasn't the type to let anything visibly shake him up… Unless, of course, Mokuba was involved. This situation was definitely no exception._

_When she looked over at him, he could see an expression that reflected instant recognition. She knew he was right away, which he had a feeling was inevitable. A lot of bad publicity was going to come from this situation. What was worse, he would probably have to deal with some sort of lawsuit, which meant court dates that he would have to work around. And in the end, he had a feeling that it was all just going to be one big mess. What bothered him the most, however, was that he could have easily avoided this had he been more careful. Suddenly, he was brought back to reality._

"_Mr. Kaiba, are you all right?"_

"_Huh? Oh, yes, I am fine. Are you injured Miss?"_

"_No, I'm perfectly fine as well," she replied, thinking that it was rather unlike the billionaire to use manners or even care for that matter. It was well known that he had the emotional depth of an ice cube. Usually, he would just take off without any regards to what had happened. Instead, there the brunet stood, looking cold, however showing even the slightest amount of worry for a complete stranger. Perhaps he was changing, but what might cause such a change?_

"_I've called the police and let them know what happened. They are on their way." Great, the young lady thought at that. That means that I'll probably be taking the blame for getting in Pretty Boy's way… Just what I need._

"_All right. How long until they get here?"_

"_They'll be here in no more than half an hour." He watched as she nodded, smiling only inwardly. Perhaps tonight might go smoothly enough that he would still be able to get all of his paperwork done when he got home. But that was certainly hoping for far too much. After all, luck had been against him for the past week or two, so why would it take a turn for the better now when it could just make the CEO miserable. And besides, misery loves company._

_It took an hour and a half for the cops to actually show up, and by then, Seto was thoroughly annoyed. If he hadn't been in such a bad position at the time, he probably would have threatened their job or at least bitched them out for making him and the young lady that he had hit wait for so long. He had work to get back to, as well as a little brother, and even though there were servants at the house, he preferred to be there at night with Mokuba, especially considering all the times the boy had been kidnapped. It had let up a bit, but that didn't mean that someone wouldn't take advantage if they felt that they had a chance._

_When they finally arrived, it took the imbeciles another half an hour to pull together all the necessary paperwork for the two. He couldn't help but feel that they were wasting his time on purpose. Kaiba wanted so badly to snap, but he knew that if he did, that would just make matters worse, so he endured, imagining strangling the officers whenever temptation got to be too much. It was the only way he was able to suppress it. And then, once they had gotten the paperwork together, they announced that they wanted to bring the two back to the station and handle it there._

_By now, Seto was beyond annoyed, and if he had ever wanted to snap before, that was nothing compared to now. He complied rather reluctantly, wishing that for once these people might make things easy. They arrived at the station 45 minutes later, being delayed 15 minutes due to construction. Seto had been tapping his foot impatiently throughout the slowdown, praying to every god and goddess that he had cursed earlier to forgive him and throw him a bone (which in turn, made him think of Jounouchi). _

_Finally at the station, they were brought into one of the bigger interview rooms, where they filled out their reports accordingly. Of course, neither of them had consulted each other before filling out the reports, and the young woman he had hit thought she would be stuck taking the blame, so they had two completely different stories. This had caused an issue for the officers, and they had to wonder why, when checking out both reports, these people were saying two completely different things. It wasn't until after the reports were done that a conversation between the two involved ensued. Too bad it hadn't occurred before this little screw up._

"_So, you filled out your report…" Seto started off the conversation, something rare for him._

"_Yeah… Don't worry. I said I was to blame."_

"_You… what?" He looked at her a bit wide eyed, trying to figure out her reasoning. Didn't she know that doing something like this could get her into a lot of trouble?_

"_Well, it's not like the famous Seto Kaiba is going to admit to such an idiotic mistake."_

"_Um, actually, my report states that I was responsible, as was the case. I caused the accident, therefore I should be the one taking the blame. What are they going to say when they see…"_

"_Are we interrupting something," an officer asked as he came into the room._

"_Yeah," Kaiba replied. "She needs to rewrite her accident report. She was a bit shaken when it first happened, so the events were still a little fuzzy until just a little while ago." The young woman just nodded weakly, acting as if what he said was the truth. It took them some time to get the paperwork together all over again (not to his surprise), and then she quickly filled it out, this time recalling the events exactly the way they had happened, instead of the story that she had created upon arrival that would state Seto Kaiba's innocence._

_He was still confused as to why she was about to take the blame for the accident, but he chose not to ask, deciding that he really didn't want to know. Women had always confused him, so he wasn't about to try to understand her thoughts. Instead, he would just make sure that their stories matched this time. Then, hopefully he could be on his merry way. It was a few more minutes of course, while they were checking over the stories and making sure that the events had been recalled correctly this time. Once they verified that everything matched, they walked back into the room, looking at the both of them with satisfied smiles._

"_All right, the paperwork is all set. Of course, Mr. Kaiba, you will be scheduled to appear in court so that a judge can decide what is an appropriate punishment for your recklessness. Ms. Watanabe, your presence will be required as well." Seto nodded as he listened, his eyelids heavy because he was so tired from tonight's events, as well as work and school. The girl he had hit had not wanted to sue him, which was a relief, but he had no idea what he was going to be stuck with as a punishment. He had a feeling it would be an award of a small amount of money, which would be no issue for him. All he wanted was to get this over with._

"_Your court date will be July 23rd__. That is 2 weeks from today. We will see the both of you then."_

_They both nodded and left the station, both letting out a sigh of relief when fresh air filled their lungs. She gave him a small side smile when she heard the familiar sound, but he returned it with his usual cold glare. She held out her hand for a handshake, and he hesitantly took it, then made his way to the limousine that had been called to come and get him. He hadn't originally wanted to have to call his driver, but he had no choice. The other car had already been brought back to the mansion._

_He was glad when he finally arrived, feeling relief flood through him. He still had a little bit of time to sleep before he had to get up for work. It took him some time to get to sleep, and by the time he was able to fall into slumber, he only had an hour. Seto had woken up exhausted, and he had decided that he seriously needed something to wake him up. He had never been a coffee fan, as much as people mistook him for one. Now and then he would drink tea, but he found that he preferred cappuccinos._

-End Flashback-

Now here he was, sitting inside a café eating breakfast and hoping that his wake up call would work. While he ate, he worked with his laptop, hard to make up for what he had not been able to do last night. There were dark circles under his eyes and he looked like hell, but there was too much that needed to get done, so it would be some time before he would have a chance to a sigh, Seto turned his focus strictly to his work, blocking out any events that might possibly distract him from what he was doing. The faster he got this done, the faster he could go home to his brother.

Kaiba was about halfway finished with his work when the door opened and a flash of blonde caught his eye. He looked up to see Jounouchi Katsuya entering the café with the Pharaoh by his side. He was thankful when they didn't notice him. The geek patrol had been bugging him more and more lately, disturbing him from his work quite often. He was quickly tiring of it. However, when he saw the blonde on his own, he felt the need to tease him, poke fun at him, always getting a rise out of Jou. It was interesting to watch.

Although he knew he had work to get done, he couldn't help but watch them a bit curiously. As much as he really didn't care for most of the group, somehow the mutt always seemed to catch his eye, and so it was out of pure curiosity that he eavesdropped on their conversation, feeling a bit surprised (and maybe even disappointed), that he hadn't been found out. One thing he did notice was that Jou seemed slightly down at the moment, as if there was something really wrong. The rest of the geek patrol wasn't there, so they were probably having a pretty serious talk. He pretended that he didn't even notice them as he stood at the coffee machine and listened in.

Apparently he had come in at the wrong time, because he had missed exactly what they were talking about. He heard Jou mention zoning out, as well as marks and soreness. What did that mean? What was it that Seto was missing. He hated not knowing everything, even if it was simply his rival. He felt like he was completely out of the loop, a fact that bothered him greatly. However, at least he would be clued in to what was going on, if not given all the information he was looking for.

As he listened, he noticed that it sounded very much like someone was hurting the mutt in some sort of way. He didn't know exactly how, and he especially wasn't sure of the reason that it bothered him so. All he knew was that hearing the possibility of Jou being hurt by someone sparked a foreign feeling in him, one that he had never known. He didn't really understand it, and so he ignored it, assuming that it was nothing more than some kind of pity for the blonde. Kaiba couldn't see the future, and therefore, he couldn't tell that this feeling that was welling up inside of him would brew much more quickly within the next months, or that it would cause a bond between the two that neither had ever expected.

He let out a soft breath before going back to his seat, still somewhat sulking over the fact that he hadn't actually been noticed by the stupid blonde. He didn't know why he cared so much, or why he wanted Jou's attention, and so he decided to dismiss it without a second thought, and get back to his work before he fell even further behind. This was the life of a CEO. Kaiba pretty much worked even in his sleep, never letting an opportunity to get something done pass him by. The accident that had occurred the night before was a consequence of him not enjoying life while he was still young. And fate had already drawn out a plan to bring him and Jounouchi together.

He barely noticed out of the corner of his eye when the two made their leave, and when they were gone, another strange feeling ensued. He pushed it aside, forcing it to join the others as nothing more than insignificant. If one didn't know better though, they would probably say that Kaiba's emotions were plotting against him. They couldn't remember the last time that their host had actually taken notice of them, and it was starting to piss them off. It was time to make a stand, to make themselves seen. And that blonde boy seemed as good a choice as any.

Kaiba remained unaware of the plot, even though it was his own subconscious mind that had come up with it. He was sure that when he heard the little squeaky voices plotting in his head, it was simply due to the fact that he was lacking sleep. Such a long night, with many others to follow he was sure. The life of a businessman was a difficult one, especially for a teenager who really had no inclination for personal relationships. Sometimes this proved to be a good and admirable quality to his partners, but other times he found it proved to be a handicap, as it made him rather awkward and standoffish.

It was this reason that he needed a decent and personable representative that could help out with the business, making the deals and strengthening partnerships. Of course, Mokuba did not have the ability to do so, as he was young and still in school. Seto wouldn't risk his little brother's education for such a silly reason, even if it was important to the company. None of his employees quite fit the bill for the kind of person he was looking for. And otherwise, there was no one that wanted to work for such a harsh boss, no matter how good the pay. So in the end, he was stuck doing his best to socialize himself with the other businessmen whenever possible, and almost always failing miserably. KaibaCorp's stocks were dropping due to this little setback, though not as far as he had anticipated.

His secretary would have been an excellent candidate for the task, but Keirei was his secretary and she was extremely efficient with her job. He couldn't afford to lose her, even if he did get annoyed with her teasing and the fact that she could read him like a book. She had known that he was shaken up a bit by this whole affair, but she hadn't said a word, much to his relief. He hated feeling so vulnerable around anyone, but especially her. She was like a sister to him. Sometimes she was important to him and other times she annoyed the crap out of him.

Everyone he had thought of just wouldn't seem to do, and so he had put out an ad for a representative, but even then, there hadn't seemed to be anyone quite right for the job. Kaiba had given up looking, deciding that there was no reason to try to looking for something that he probably wasn't going to find. Instead, he would spend countless hours working on himself to try and make himself more likable for other persons. This, however, proved absolutely impossible. No matter what he tried, that cold and cocky air always lingered about him just enough to make others feel uncomfortable.

Even now, as he sat there happily working away, a sneer on his face read 'come near me and you die'. If he could see his reflection right now, even he would probably be slightly confused by it. His emotions were not something that he really put on show, as he had learned from Gozaburo that it made a man vulnerable. But if he had realized how much of a fool his stepfather really was back then, he wouldn't have listened to the man. If anything, such ruthlessness, which had successfully expanded the company, was now hurting it, and he didn't know how to fix this.

The stoic CEO wished that he had an easier time expressing himself, but most of the time, it seemed near impossible. At the same time, he liked not being vulnerable to others, to appear completely unaffected by their words, even if this was not actually the case. So if anything, he had mixed emotions about his attitude. After all, what would people say if the great Seto Kaiba suddenly went soft? He didn't even want to think about that, so instead, he turned his thoughts to a happier note.

In the past 2 months, KaibaCorp had successfully expanded 3 times, and now he was on a fourth takeover. Unfortunately, his work was keeping him even busier than before. Now, twice the workload of what he'd had 3 months ago was the norm, and sleep and food were no more than a luxury. If he did take a break, he worked double time to try and make up for the time lost for that break. The dark circles under his eyes told a story all their own, and occasionally they would shut, though only for a brief second. He couldn't afford to fall asleep now, when he was so very close to finishing his work. He would have time to eat, sleep, and spend with Mokuba later.

Now that the other 2 were gone, his focus could remain strictly on his work, and he could finish up what he had been trying to for weeks now. He would go to the office and situate everything there, and then he would head home for a well earned day to himself that he had been anticipating for quite some time now. A smirk crossed his face as he nodded to himself at his plan, glad that he might be able to finally get some sleep. After all, no matter how strong your endurance, 2 months on barely any sleep never went over well with the human body.

Kaiba was quick in his office, not wanting to be held up because his employees had a tendency to become somewhat incompetent when he was around. It was strange, as they always seemed fine when he had a day off, but as soon as he appeared, the bumbling idiots had forgotten why he had hired them. He was fortunate today, only having to spend 20 minutes in his office. As soon as he was done, he gave a couple of small jobs that he had been given to do to Keirei, knowing that his secretary was capable of handling such petty assignments. She had already finished her work, so it didn't bother her any. Although he would never admit it, he was extremely thankful for her help.

It was another half an hour later when Seto returned home from his work, greeted instantly with open arms by his younger brother. Seto hugged him back, a smile on his lips, then headed into the kitchen to grab something to eat. He had been hungry since about halfway through the ride home, and he was sure that his younger brother would want something as well. He was happy to be done with work for the day, as it gave him some time to spend with Mokuba, which he really needed right now. Seeing Yugi and the mutt at the café had really bothered him, though he had no clue why he even cared.

Seto didn't even notice the food overcooking, burning as he became lost in thought. Mokuba had thought that he smelled something in the kitchen and ran in just in time, as whatever it was that his older brother had been cooking was just starting to catch fire. The younger Kaiba quickly put it out, then turned to face Seto. Since when had his brother become so accident prone? It seemed like lately, his head was always in the clouds. It was beginning to make the ebony haired boy worry and wonder.

After a few moments Seto finally snapped out of his trance, and the burnt smell quickly hit his noise. He let out a groan as he realized that he had forgotten about the food, letting it cook far too long. He saw Mokuba scraping out what was left of their lunch, mostly ashes or extremely burnt crumbs. His little brother gave him a worried smile as he noticed that he was being watched. Perhaps it would be better not to let Seto near anything that could potentially be hazardous to their health for the time being.

"Seto, I'll have our cook make us something. Why don't you go into the living room and relax?"

The elder Kaiba nodded and headed out to the couch, deciding that Mokuba's suggestion was a good one. He seriously needed to rest and to clear his head. He laid down, placing his head on a small pillow at one end of the couch, and pulling a light blanket over his slender frame. Seto flipped through a few channels on the television before deciding that the idiot box was the most boring invention known to mankind, and then turned over and fell asleep. So much for a day dedicated to his brother. Even his dreams were betraying that plan, as instead, two amber eyes and a golden blonde mop appeared in his mind. Instead of the usual dreamless sleep he usually enjoyed, there was now someone his mind's eye pictured, revealing to him a hidden desire that he himself had no idea about.

Seto was slowly getting deeper into the dream, and soon realized that the lightly tanned body that was Jounouchi was laying on his bed, blankets covering him. Seto was standing by the door, pulling his shirt off as he slowly advanced on the boy, and then undoing his pants, careful not to trip over them. Jounouchi could be seen glancing down at his manhood before those beautiful amber eyes met the cold blue ones above him. However, instead of the icy steel that the blonde had so often been met with, he saw eyes with more depth than the deepest of oceans, and more emotion reflected in his irises than was humanly possible.

He topped Jou, looking down at him with a warmth that, to anyone who did not know the cold CEO well, would seem completely foreign. However, Jou had been his lover for some time, and had slowly broken through the icy barrier, working his way into Seto's heart. The brunet placed a hand underneath the other boy's shirt, letting it travel all over, exploring the torso that belonged to the youth beneath him.

He undid Jou's pants and slowly slid his hand down, enjoying the sounds that his blonde emitted. But before Seto could do much else, the boy disappeared from beneath him, suddenly falling deep down into darkness. His calls for Seto to help him became more distant each time, however, and they grew more eerie as they echoed in the depths of Seto's mind. He looked at the bed beneath him, which had suddenly formed into a Blue Eyes White Dragon, and grabbed him by his midsection and raised him up to its face. It was female, he found out, as she let out a cruel laughter that spoke of many sorrows.

Kaiba was officially scared of what was going on. She was opening her mouth and readying an attack that was more than likely to be aimed at him directly. But it was all in a flash that the next part happened. It was less than a second, and yet seemed to last forever. A Red Eyes Black Dragon appeared out of nowhere and wrapped itself around the Blue Eyes, stopping the attack. He could hear them exchanging words in the Draconian language, and soon, she retreated. The Red Eyes bent down and placed his head next to Seto's body. The brunet had no idea what to think, and so he just chose to stand there and allow the dragon to do as it pleased. However, it never advanced on him, but just laid there watching him with what seemed to be knowing eyes. Every now and then it would let out a gentle grunt, and Seto was almost sure that he heard the squeaky voices that were just the product of him being overtired. Damn, he was so confused!

Seto awoke in a cold sweat, and looked down the bed to see a bump right around his midsection that announced his arousal. He let out an annoyed groan, wishing that it had gone away, but could not be so lucky. It looked like a cold shower was up next on his list of things to do, so he made his way to the bathroom, taking off his clothes as he did so. He was reminded of how he had walked towards Jou in that dream, wanting to thoroughly ravish him as he stripped.

Seto shook his head, not wanting to think about the source of his arousal. The last thing he needed was for it to become even worse. He hopped into the shower, instantly shivering when the cold liquid hit his warm skin. He let out a sigh, looking down at the swollen organ and sincerely hoping that it would go down quickly and without him having to aid it. All he really wanted was to spend the day with Mokuba, and he would be damned if such an embarrassing occurrence would keep him from doing that.

It was another few minutes before Seto hopped out of the shower, going into his bedroom and getting dressed quickly. He went to find Mokuba, who was in his room playing video games at the moment. The elder brother couldn't help smiling as he watched Mokuba happily celebrating having just beaten his last high score. They were so much alike, the two brothers, although no one outside their personal lives would have ever guessed. Hell, they probably never would have even realized that the elder Kaiba was remotely close to human. But the servants knew what their elder master was like behind closed doors, especially when it involved Mokuba. He was passionate, something that had been publicly on display so many times before, but the elder brother was also kind and loving, nothing like the demanding and cold bastard he appeared as to others.

He waited for Mokuba to finish up with his game before announcing his presence, giving a happy smile to the boy that he had pretty much raised himself. He loved his little brother more than money or power. But there was something now in the back of his mind that was developing slowly, a different kind of love. By now, Seto had completely forgotten about the dream he'd had of Jounouchi not so long ago. He was focused instead on what he was going to do with Mokuba today. It had been so long since they had had a day together, and he wanted to make this was something truly special. Those squeaky voices in his head couldn't be happier about their host being distracted. It meant that they would have that much more privacy with which to do their plotting.


	3. Chapter 3

This chapter is shorter than the last, but I really wanted to get it posted quickly. Here's the 3rd for those that are reading it. Hope you all enjoy it! Thanks to everyone who reviewed!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, just the many crazy storylines that I kidnapped the characters for!

* * *

Jou took a deep breath and entered the game shop with Yami at his side. His friends greeted them enthusiastically, all smiles until they saw the strained look on the blonde's face. There was definitely something wrong, they could tell, and they wanted to know _now._ Jou could already see the questioning look in each gaze, and knew that this was all coming way too fast. He wasn't ready for this, and he felt the need to escape quickly. However, he stood rooted to his spot, eyes fixed on the floor of the shop now so that he would not have to meet the curious orbs that belonged to the others.

The others could read him better than Jou realized, and decided to put it off for now. They had plenty of time to discuss what was going on with Jou later. Instead, they headed to the park where it was such a beautiful day and the gang hadn't seen the sun in so long. They laid a blanket down and sat under a tree. Yugi had packed everyone a lunch so that they could have a picnic here, something that they hadn't done for some time.

Jou was currently leaning back, looking at the sky, eyes squinted slightly due to the brightness of the sun. He wasn't really hungry right now, just sore and he wanted to forget what had happened. The only problem was that the subject he was trying to avoid was the reason that he was here in the first place. He let out a soft sigh, gaining everyone's attention. Honda was the first person to notice that Jou wasn't eating, which was definitely unusual for the blonde.

"Hey dude, aren't you hungry?"

"Nah, not really."

"Jou, are you feeling all right," Yugi continued the interrogation.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I just… I know why Yami asked me to come with you guys, and I might as well just get to the point. Look, I have feeling that you've all been suspicious about my home life for some time. The truth is… Well… For the past couple of years…" He looked at Yami, his expression a plea for help.

"Jou's father has been raping him." Shocked would not describe the looks on all of his friends' faces. They looked positively horrified, and apparently, they had all been struck speechless by this new bit of information. He had seen this reaction coming, but nothing he did could fully prepare him for it. His gaze was now on the still damp grass before them, gently blowing in the warm breeze. Honda was the first person to recover.

"Dude, are you fucking serious!?" Honda looked as if he was way past angry. If looks could kill, surely, there would be no one left standing on this earth. Next was Yugi.

"Two years Jou!? How come you never told us?" Yami spoke up at that.

"He wanted to Yugi, believe me, but it's just not that simple. You know how Jou is. He's a proud person. To him, this was his burden, and he didn't want any of us to have to carry it." And now Yugi turned on Yami.

"And just how did _you_ know about it?" A look of guilt spread across Yami's face.

"I caught on that something was wrong about a year and a half ago, and so while Jou was resting one time, I decided to take a look into his mind. But I made him a promise not to tell any of you until he was ready.

"Yeah, but if he had told us sooner, we might have been able to do something to stop it then," stated Otogi while Honda and Yugi nodded. Jou looked up.

"I'm sorry you guys, I really am, but I just couldn't tell you. There was no way." And of course, what better time was there than now for a certain brunet billionaire to make his presence known.

"Well, if it isn't the geek patrol and their pet dog. Are you putting him through obedience training?" However, Jou didn't shoot anything back, but just stared at the grass, which confused Kaiba. Seto was used to the blonde arguing back, getting some sort of rise out of the boy, but Jou had never acted like this before.

"Looks like they're training you well too, mutt. You remembered not to bark until addressed by your master." Still nothing. The others were giving him a dirty look, though he was clueless as to why. He felt as if he was seriously missing something here. Why wasn't Jou barking back at him? Why did the others suddenly seem ready to kill him?

"Look Kaiba, this isn't a good time," Yugi piped up. Then Jou finally spoke, though it wasn't quite what the brunet had been expecting.

"Kaiba, I'll argue with you some other time. Please, just leave me alone." Jou let out another sigh, staring at the grass once more. The CEO was very surprised by this, but shrugged.

"Poor puppy's feelings are getting hurt, eh? Until next time Wheeler." He left without another word. The others stared at Kaiba's back with hateful eyes. They wondered why he always seemed to appear at the worst of times, when the situation was already bad enough. At the moment, Jou looked like he would blow his brain out if he was left alone, and for that reason, they weren't letting Jou go home. Instead he was going to stay with his friends, and they were going to save him from his father… somehow.

If Jou had been in a bad mood before, he was now livid. He had just gotten the truth off his chest, facing his friends, which was something he had been dreading. Jou had finally faced his fear, the possibility that his friends would leave him when they found out, blaming him for the goings on at home. He had been proven wrong, something he was very thankful for. Just when he was beginning to think that everything was going to be okay, that bastard had to come and shatter his already broken spirit. Leave it to Seto Kaiba, first class asshole, to appear at the wrong time. The others gave Jou a sympathetic look, and Tristan scooted over to the blonde to rub his back.

"Ignore him Jou, you know how he is. He's just a rich jerk." Jou nodded, but didn't say a word. He didn't want to talk right now. Though he loved being with his friends, right now he would settle for talking a solitary walk and giving himself time to think things over. He needed the support from his friends, and it was much appreciated, but he couldn't allow this to become their burden too. They would want to intervene, and Jou didn't want that. He didn't know what his father was capable of, and he wasn't so sure that he wanted to find out. In the end, it seemed like they were better off not knowing. Why had he told them anyways? He had forgotten the reason.

Jou was beginning to zone out, so he didn't noticed the others all looking at him with worried expressions. Without really even thinking about what he was doing, Jou stood up from the rest of the group, placing his hands in his jacket pockets, and headed off in the direction that Kaiba had gone. He wasn't paying attention at the moment, he was off in a different world, contemplating why Kaiba acted the way he did. He didn't know why he was thinking about the prick, it was just something that had suddenly come to mind.

He had never really thought about it before, as he assumed that Seto Kaiba was just an asshole because he had the money to be. He had never really known what had happened to Seto in the past to make him the way he was now, but now that he took the time to analyze, it seemed like Kaiba was harboring some very deep wounds. In that particular sense, they were very much, even if neither boy really realized it.

The blonde sighed, looking up at the trees above him and thinking about what his past had been like. It was a depressing thought, to tell the truth. Even so, Jou did his best to always look at the bright side of things. In such a negative world, there had to be a few optimists. Jou was definitely one of them, despite all his reasons not to be. Even though it had done some damage to him mentally, he had never allowed his home life to get the better of him. He was always the same happy go lucky boy that his friends knew him to be.

The only time that anything got to him was when he and Kaiba got into one of their infamous arguments. He didn't know why it bothered him in such a way, but the brunet always got him riled up. It made him angry that he would react in such a way to Seto's taunting, but it was almost as if it was automatic and he couldn't turn it off. He hated that cocky grin that Kaiba got when he fought back, hated those snide remarks, and he couldn't figure out why he provoked the jerk to further tease.

Jou looked up, suddenly realizing where he had walked to. He was standing right in front of his apartment building, typically an hour's walk from the park, but he had made it there in no more than 15 minutes. Almost instantly, he got the feeling that something was wrong, though he chose to ignore it. He really didn't want to deal with his father's issues right now when he had his own to sort out. Jou was still lost in thought, though he had become a little more aware of his surroundings. However, had he been even slightly more aware, he might have noticed the yellow police tape that read "Do Not Cross" on his apartment door.

The blonde made his way back to his friends, taking his time along the way. They all looked relieved to see him, especially Yami. He knew why Yami had that expression on his face, though he usually pushed that incident to the back of his mind. It wasn't something he really wanted to think about, so instead he chose to pretend as if it had never happened. It wasn't really a healthy answer to his situation , but it worked.

However, at the moment, these thoughts were passing through his head a mile a minute. He remembered the way Yami had looked at him when he had finally found him, and the reaction to the state that the blonde's soul had been in. Although his body was significantly healthy at the time, his spirit reflected the mental and emotional damage that he had been subjected to. If it had been any worse, Jou would probably be locked up in a mental institute.

_-Flashback-_

_Yami was wondering through the caverns of Jou's mind, which looked very much like the inside of the millennium puzzle. At the same time, as Yami took in his surroundings, he realized how truly dark Jou's thoughts were. There was almost no light inside this place, and there were traps set almost everywhere to help protect the fragile soul of his friend. The tricolor haired boy had almost walked into 3 of them already, though he had caught himself in time._

_He had noticed that instead of doors, almost every entrance to the rooms was distinguished by metal bars, making the rooms look more like cells. Within the cells were drawings of different parts of Jou's life. There were good memories, which had a small hint of sunshine lighting up the space in which they had been hung up. Yami quickly noticed that these rooms were far and few between. Then there were many which were bad memories, and darkness covered these rooms. There was moss and fungus in these rooms, growing all over the place. The spirit looked up and saw something he had never expected. Above him was another room, upside down, which he had a feeling represented something Jou wanted that was out of reach._

_Yami knew how these places worked, so he pictured himself within the room, and that was precisely where he appeared. Looking around, he was almost certain that he had been right. This room represented a great desire of Jou's mind and heart that he felt was far from his grasp: Seto Kaiba. Yami couldn't have been more shocked by what he was seeing. The place was a shrine, which represented great longing, and the room was very brightly lit. The spirit almost instantly knew why this room seemed so much happier than the others. Even though he was certain that Jou wouldn't admit it, Kaiba represented Jou's happiness. Kaiba made him happy… _

_Yami had been busy pondering his thoughts, so he was slightly startled when he heard a quiet sob. It didn't take him long to spot Jou in this room. He should have figured that this was where the other boy would be, seeing as he needed to remember what joy felt like. As the spirit looked upon him, he felt a combination of surprise and fear. _

_Jou was in shackles, chained to the wall. He looked completely miserable. His eyes had red rims from having been crying, his hair was at least twice as messy as usual, he looked far thinner than he had a few days ago, and he had bruises all over his body. Jou was barely wearing anything, just a pair of shorts. He was extremely pale and looked sickly. When Yami laid his eyes upon the boy, he felt that he might cry himself from his friend's current situation. Jou's state was unbelievable._

_Yami knelt down in front of him and pulled him into a tight hug, rubbing his back. He felt anger overcome his entire being, but he pushed it aside for now, deciding that comfort was what Jou needed at the moment. Jou had begun crying again as soon as the spirit had touched him. Yami kept him in that embrace for some time, hushing him, trying to get him to calm down enough to say what had happened. Of course, he didn't want to push the matter if Jou decided he didn't want to talk about it, but Yami was really hoping for some answers._

_-End Flashback-_

The others were waiting for Jou to say something, but instead, he just sat down next to Tristan and gave him a goofy smile. He felt that he was making his friends worry for no reason, so he decided to push his father aside for now and just enjoy the time he had to spend with his friends. He didn't know when they would get to do something like this next, so it was best for all of them, including him, to make the most of this picnic.

Jou lost himself in conversation, talking to his friends about absolutely everything that popped into his mind. There was a subject change almost every 2 minutes, though the others were glad to see the old Jou back, so they didn't mind so much. They couldn't help laughing at the way he carried on in conversation, as if nothing had been wrong in the first place. However, it didn't stop any of them from worrying about him internally. Each of them were thinking the same thing, that they needed to get him away from his father, and soon.

Jou decided to spend that night at Yugi's, wanting a break from his father. Yugi was glad to have him over. He hadn't had a friend sleep over for some time, so Jou was welcome to spend the night by both him and his grandfather. The blonde didn't mind that Yugi and Yami typically cuddled while they slept. They made an adorable couple, and they had yet to do anything besides cuddle and kiss. Had it been Ryou and Bakura, that probably would have been a completely different story. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to stay a night at their house.

That night, he followed the other two boys home and waited with Yami while Yugi made sure that Sugoroku didn't mind him staying. After a couple of minutes, the shorter teen came back with a huge smile on his face. His grandfather had agreed to Jou staying the night, and so they made their way upstairs to Yugi's bedroom and sat on the bed, gathering around and playing card games for the entire night. This was what Jou loved about spending the night at Yugi's house. He could get lost in the games they played and have not a care in the world. The punishment he received tomorrow for not being home on time that night would be more severe, but it was well worth it to have a night away from all of his issues.

It was 1 am when they all went to sleep, Jou passing out while sitting on the floor. Yami smiled, picking him up and carrying him over to the futon that was generally reserved for guests. After that, the taller teen made his way over to his hikari, a devious grin on his lips as he gently sucked on Yugi's neck. The smaller boy let out a small moan, closing his eyes. After a moment, he pushed Yami off, point over at Jou. Yami nodded and instead, snuggled up next to him in his bed.

Jou was the first of the 3 that woke up the next morning. He was still tired, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep. He looked at the other two and smiled a bit, that is, until an image of him and Kaiba cuddling like that popped into his mind. He had often dreamed of being in Seto's arms, but he was about 1000% sure that he would never be good enough. Being with Seto Kaiba would always be a dream, and one that he would never make known to another person. It was his deepest secret, and only Yami knew it. Yami had sworn never to tell a soul.

Jou decided that while the other two slept, he would go down and cook breakfast, something that Yugi's grandfather had given him permission to do some time ago. Jou was an awesome cook, and it was something that he had always enjoyed. Baking was his specialty, but he was almost as good at cooking, and breakfast was his favorite meal. He got to be creative with it, and there were many choices for him to pick from.

When Yugi and Yami arrived downstairs, they could smell the food that Jou had cooked, and boy did it smell good. Jou usually made American food, and this morning, he had chosen chocolate chip pancakes, which was Yugi's favorite. They all sat around the table and ate happily, albeit quietly. Once Jou was done, he eyed the other 2, giving them a knowing smile. Now that they were all up, they would more than likely play a couple more rounds of DuelMonsters and then head to the arcade for video games.

There was no way that Jou could have guessed that their plan would be foiled by a simple knock at the door. Yugi looked at them and shrugged, then headed over and pulled the door back to reveal a police officer. Jou suddenly had a really bad feeling in his gut, and it was reflected in his expression, which Yami noticed almost right away. Yami's greatest fear was that Jou's father had sent the officer to find his son. He could tell by the expression on the blonde's face that he was thinking exactly the same thing. This couldn't be good.

"Jounouchi Katsuya," the officer spoke up. Jou nodded, looking up at him a bit nervously.

"I have come to inform you, Mr. Jounouchi, that your father is dead." Jou's eyes widened as he looked up at the officer, barely believing his ears.

"He committed suicide yesterday afternoon by hanging himself." Jou nodded, not sure what to say now. His father was… dead… A mixed array of emotions washed over him as the words fully processed in his brain. His father had killed himself less than 24 hours ago. Jou had been at the park at his time of death. Why hadn't he noticed anything out of the blue then?

Suddenly, Jou remember the rotten feeling he had gotten when he had gone for his walk and landed back at his house. That was why he had felt that there was something off. Jou hadn't realized it then, but the feeling he had gotten was one of unanticipated relief. It had twisted and curled his stomach in the strangest way, making him feel sick. Now, the sick feeling was gone, relief being one of two strong emotions felt about his father's demise. He also was a little sad, because no matter how many bad things had been done to him by that man, he was still Jou's father. Jou still had to love him even a little bit to have put up with everything he did over the years. The officer placed a gentle hand on Jou's shoulder, grabbing back his attention.

"I'm going to give you a day or two to get over the initial shock of your father's passing, and then I will come to get you and escort you to the apartment so that you may gather your belongings. I'm sorry for your loss Mr. Jounouchi. Good luck, and good day to both of you." With that, the officer left. Jou would have fallen back from the shock if the other two boys hadn't been there to catch him. They both looked worriedly at him, not knowing what to think, do or say. Yami could sense the relief emanating off of the blonde, and at the same time, Yugi could feel grief overtaking his best friend. Apparently, Jou had no idea what he should be feeling.

Jou stared down at the ground, waiting for the reality of the situation to become clear. He no longer had anyone, or at least anyone that wanted him. Even when his father had been raping him, hitting him abusing him in all aspects, Jou could still cling to the fact that someone wanted him. It might not have been a healthy lifestyle, but at least he knew that he was somehow important. He had meant something to his father, even if it was just a good fuck.

He had just lost that, and he wasn't dealing so well with it, though he hid that fact well. He smiled at the other two boys, a fake smile, a façade that he had used often to keep others from getting in. Jou was quickly becoming lost in the darkness, consumed by a lifetime of hurt and disappointment. He looked around, not seeing his friends, or the apartment he had stayed in the night before. What replaced it was one of the dark rooms that Yami had once experienced. Inside lingered many shadows, most of gruesome monsters that embodied the memories of Jou's dark past. There were bars before the blonde, making him feel claustrophobic, as if he was suffocating. He needed to get out, but he was trapped within.

Without even thinking about what he was doing, Jou collapsed to his knees, sobbing loudly. The fake smile from seconds ago had completely gone, replaced by an expression twisted in anguish, hurt, and defeat. He was becoming more miserable with each passing thought, a misery that no teen should _ever_ be subjected to. The others watched as he cried his heart out, his past finally winning him over. They had never seen Jou cry before, not even when Serenity had needed an eye operation that he couldn't afford.

Yugi knelt down beside his friend to comfort him, unable to believe the absolute pain and grief that Jou was feeling from his father's death. In that moment, Jou could have died from the amount of sadness he was feeling, and possibly even taken the others with him. It was such an overpowering flow of emotion, something that Jou hadn't really been ready for. He had been subjected to much pain and suffering, but had come through it so far. This time, though, he wasn't so sure that he would survive. It was a huge blow to him to know that his father had permanently left him alone. He didn't need to abuse that his father had exposed him to for so long, but he needed the assurance of knowing that in some way, he was needed. He no longer had that feeling of importance, only emptiness and regret.

Almost instantly, Jou had begun to blame himself for the suicide. He had been cold to the elder Jounouchi the day before, not believing in his father's vow to try and change. He had shaken it off as if it was nothing more than empty words, because that was what he believed that the old man really had to offer him. He had never thought that his father would actually try to change for the better. Jou had firmly believed that all the alcohol had fried his brain, making him pretty much useless. He had always been good at wasting money on booze, as well as making sure that Jou was thoroughly broken.

When he had heard his father talking about changing the day before, something had definitely been different. Jou hadn't realized it then, but as he remembered, the change became clear. There was remorse and defeat in those old features, lined not only with age, but also regret. His eyes had reflected deepest sorrow, something that Jou had never before seen. He had apologized sincerely, and his son had just shrugged it off. But now Jou knew the truth. His father was apologizing for a lifetime of hurt that he had caused for the blonde, for all the wrong he had done to him, and for not being strong enough, for leaving him alone.

His father must have already premeditated the suicide in order to have delivered such words. He hadn't hurt Jou either. That was something that had slightly confused the teen, and he just decided to take it as a break from their sessions. He had noticed that a lot of the behavior that he was experiencing from his father that day was completely out of the norm. So why the hell hadn't he realized it sooner? Why hadn't Jou seen the signs?

* * *

Seto had enjoyed his little run in with the dweeb patrol, that is, until Jou had caught his eye. The dream that he'd had the night before with the blonde in his bed had quickly come racing back to his mind. Seto had closed his eyes, trying to block out the vision of the gorgeous body that had been beneath him, the sounds that the blonde emitted each time Seto teased him with a gentle touch. The brunet shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts from his head. Then he got an idea to try and aid it along.

He began picking on Jou as he usually would, but was surprised when the blonde was, for the most part, unresponsive. Jou _always_ argued back with him, even if he wasn't really in the mood to. It had to have given the blonde some sort of sick and twisted pleasure, because he always seemed like he was in a better mood afterwards. It wasn't often that Seto saw a real smile on Jou's face, something he had almost instantly known. The mutt didn't smile often, even at his friends. He had this fake grin instead that said that everything was all right, even when it wasn't. Seto knew that grin very well, as he himself often made use of it.

Finally, he gave up on picking on Jou, feeling that anything he tried was simply a lost cause. No one knew what he was actually trying to do, so they glared at Seto as he teased, all tempted to rip him to shreds. And they probably would have if Jou had not spoken up at that particular moment. Instead, they all stayed rooted to their seats, feeling that Jou was a big boy and could take care of himself. Seto sensed that now was a good time to go, and so he departed with one last glance at the mutt. That last glance was all it took to bring back memories of that damned dream.

He walked off towards the limo, back facing to the gang. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Wrong. Jou was still on his mind, and he was going to be sticking around for a while. Mokuba, who had been walking next to his brother, looked over and had to laugh. His brother was apparently aroused by something, more than likely Jounouchi. The younger Kaiba had known about his brother's crush long before Seto had become aware that Jou had existed.

Even now, he could tell that Seto was thinking about Jou. He had a look on his face as if Jou had just confessed his eternal love to him, though Seto knew that he would never be that lucky. The blonde was everything he had ever wanted to be, and had all the characteristics that the brunet would want in a lover. He meant the world to Kaiba, though he would never admit that. Mokuba already knew the truth, and he was the only person that the elder didn't mind having that information.

Seto pushed Jou to the back of his mind as he walked with his brother back to the area where the limousine was parked. There were more important matters that he had to deal with right now. Soon he would have to appear in court due to the accident that he had caused not so long ago. He was glad that it was just a small accident that he would receive a punishment for, as he was sure that he could handle anything that the courts threw at him. Seto Kaiba could deal with most anything, the only exception being people. He had never really been good at interacting with others. He was almost certain that the courts would simply have him pay a fine and be on his way.

The date was coming faster than the teen had anticipated, having only a week left before he would have to go. He would have to see the girl that had been in the accident with him again. It was going to be an easy appointment, though it was still irritating because it simply wasted his time. He would prefer to be at work or spending time with his brother, seeing as they barely ever got to see each other. Mokuba was understanding about it, but it didn't make Seto any less annoyed.

He looked around himself, feeling like there was someone following him, although there appeared to be no one there. He didn't know why he was getting this feeling, but it stayed with him for about 5 minutes. He was glad when they entered the limousine to head home, as it had been a grueling day. He didn't think that seeing that stupid mutt again would have such an effect on him, but he had quickly been proven wrong. His ordeal with Jou had mentally and physically exhausted him, and suddenly, the CEO felt the need to lay down and rest. Tomorrow he had school, so he was going to need every bit of energy that he could get.

The driver was quick about getting them home, and Seto felt immense relief at the sight of the mansion. He opened the door himself and made his way in, his brother following him through the large oak doors. Kaiba mansion had never seemed so welcoming in all Seto's time there. He looked down at Mokuba, who was giving him a worried look, and smiled. It was so typical of the younger brother to worry about the brunet.

"I'm going to get some sleep Mokuba. I haven't been sleeping well, I'm exhausted, and I have to be up early tomorrow." Mokuba nodded at his brother, understanding that Seto was very fatigued.

"All right, good night Seto. See you tomorrow!" He watched as his older brother made his way up the stairs and turned a corner. When Seto was out of his sight, he let out a loud sigh, almost collapsing where he stood. Fatigued was not the proper word. Seto needed as much rest as he could get, and he needed it soon. He supported himself against the wall as he made his way into the bedroom. There he took off his clothes and immediately fell into the bed. He only allowed himself to pass out for the night once he had pulled the blankets up over him.

Curled up under the comforter, the brunet stirred slightly every now and then as he dreamed. It was another strange dream, one that he wasn't really sure he understood. Again, the Blue Eyes and Red Eyes had returned, and he stared in wonderment as each looked down upon him. The Blue Eyes didn't look very interested in Seto, she was actually looking over at something else, sneering. The Red Eyes had also noticed it, and he was watching every movement that the Blue Eyes made.

She looked as if she was ready to attack the other presence, which Seto could not see because her large body was blocking it. Whatever it was though, it was making her very angry. Her nostrils flared as she shot white lightning in the general direction that she had been staring in. The Red Eyes was quick to act, moving to block the attack. He let out a loud growl as he bore down upon her, his eyes now glowing in rage. She looked somewhat frightened, but was retreating as he had intended her to.

The meaning of the dream quickly became clear to Seto, as if he had known the whole time. In the corner, now in his line of view, was a blonde boy who looked absolutely miserable. Seto, who had been laying in his bed just a moment before, got up and walked over to the boy, squatting in front of him. He was chained to his corner, his head hung low. His body was far thinner than normal, and the light in his amber eyes had gone.

The dragons that Seto had been dreaming about represented the two boys and their suffering, their arguments, and the desire to destroy the grief that they were feeling. That was why the Blue Eyes kept on trying to attack them. However, the Red Eyes seemed to also sense their suffering, and wanted to help in a different way. Instead of destroying them, he wanted to comfort them, to help them feel that everything would be okay. The dream was symbolic for their emotion towards everything.

Seto's eyes fell once more on the chained figure. His expression was completely downcast, as if he had finally been defeated by something. Seto couldn't imagine what might have the blonde looking so depressed, but he felt an urge to help, and so he did. Slowly, he moved closer to Jou, grabbing one of his hands. Jou looked up, the darkness in his features never yielding. Seto let out a quiet sigh and twisted his face until it was lit with a smile. As he looked upon the blonde, Jou's face brightened, a smile becoming visibly present after a moment. In that smile there was hope, something that both boys had lost, but seemed to be gaining back.

Seto leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on the other pair of lips, licking them a little and noticing that they tasted of honey. He had expected no less from Jou, seeing as that was what the blonde had always reminded him of. Jou had a personality that could be described perfectly by the word honey. He was warm, sweet, loving, as well as loved by others. He was thick skulled and stubborn, but it never dulled his personality. As a matter of fact, Seto felt that it was the perfect touch to his puppy.

He didn't know when he had started thinking of Jou like that, but he wasn't planning to stop anytime soon. He would allow his feelings to manifest if that was what was meant to happen, but he would never tell Jou the truth. Seto was far from good enough for the one that he desired. The mutt deserved someone that could show him all the love he really deserved, that could always be there for him, and that could love him like a real lover would. Unfortunately, that person was not Seto Kaiba, and he knew it.

Even so, in his dreams, he was allowed to have anything that he desired, and that was Jou. He took both the blonde's hands in his own, kissing each one. Then, he grabbed the key from its hook and freed Jou from his chains. The other boy's arms instantly wrapped around him, as if he was clinging to Seto for life. The older teen couldn't help smiling at his puppy's actions. He enjoyed the warmth of Jou's embrace, as well as the sweet taste of the blonde when they kissed. To Seto, this meant the world. To him, nothing could have been more perfect. To Seto, this would always be a strong desire, one that he could never fulfill.

Seto awoke in a cold sweat, looking around the room. It took him a few moments to realize that he was in his own bedroom within Kaiba mansion, and Jou was not laying next to him. Even though Seto could play out his desire in his sleep, dreams of Jou were futile. They reminded him of what he could never have, and Seto Kaiba _always_ got what he wanted. However, Jou was just out of his reach, and would remain so for the rest of his life. It was better for the CEO to turn his attention to more realistic goals.

Seto's eyes widened as he realized that his blanket was wet and sticky. The brunet looked down and blushed when he had confirmed his suspicion. Apparently Jounouchi had aroused him to the point that he had released. This wasn't the embarrassing part though. The embarrassing part was the fact that he wasn't even having a wet dream, but he had still gotten so damn worked up over that idiot dog. No one ever made him feel so… Seto didn't know what word was appropriate to describe it. He was becoming very passionate about the blond, often dreaming of those amber colored eyes. He was beginning to desire the other boy's touch more and more.

However, what Seto felt went beyond passion and desire. He really wasn't sure what it was called, because Seto Kaiba did not remember what it was like to love and have someone love you in return. He had long forgotten what love was. The unconditional love that he felt for his brother was different. Mokuba was his family, his flesh and blood. His younger sibling was one of the few things that kept him sane. He could never stop caring about Mokuba. The emotion he felt for Jounouchi was far different from that of blood ties. It was a bond between lovers.

With a sigh, Seto got up and brought the blankets to the laundry room. It was embarrassing to think that he had soiled them from such a dream, and he was not about to let his staff find out. He set them inside the washer and turned it on, then turned away without giving them anymore thought. They would be waiting for him tonight in the laundry room. He had somewhere to be now, and Seto had no intentions of being late for work.

He slipped on his trademark black, long sleeved turtleneck and well-fit pants. Seto grabbed a comb and stood in front of the mirror, only taking a minute to comb out the brown locks. He looked in the mirror, deciding that he looked as sinister as was required when it came to Seto Kaiba, and then exited the bedroom. He made his way down the stairs and into the dining room where his brother awaited him. A gentle smile quickly became visible on Seto's face, on display for none other than the raven haired boy.

He had far too much to get done, and his court date was today, so he needed to be sure that he had plenty of time to get there. Seto paged the driver, letting him know to be outside the mansion in 10 minutes. As much as he would never admit it, Seto thought of his driver as a good, loyal employee. He was always there when Seto asked him to be, and Seto had confided in him, albeit unintentionally, a few times. He could never admit his crush on Jou though. That would be the equivalent of committing suicide.

Kaiba stepped onto the sidewalk and turned toward the KaibaCorp building, hearing his car take off from behind. He entered and looked at the young redhead sitting at the front desk. She had a pair of somewhat thick, black frames that brought out her brown eyes just slightly. He had never been attracted to the opposite sex, but if he had, he could have easily seen her as attractive enough to date. They had chatted a few times, and Seto had grown to enjoy her company. He didn't often make small talk, but she was one of the few human beings that he could stand to be around. It might have also had to do something with that deadly gaze, which could easily match his when she became infuriated.

Unfortunately, he did not have time to stop and talk with her this morning. He had far too much to get done. Instead, he gave her a nod and a small half smile as he walked by her. She returned it with a smile of her own, acknowledging his greeting, and at the same time letting him know that she understood that he had a busy schedule. He was thankful that she knew what his schedule was like, and that she wasn't one of those girls that you had to fawn over in order to get her to like you. It made their working together that much more pleasant.

He made his way to the elevator, heading up to the top floor. As he exited, Seto made a quick mental note of who was in their office. Someone called out sick every day, and he did his best to keep a record of the employees that called out quite frequently. They never lasted long. Soon, he stopped in front a door with his name on it. Pushing back the door, Seto looked around the office that he had come to know so well. Everything was just the way he had left it.

Working through the day was hell, but Kaiba had no time for breaks, so he did not eat. This was a common occurrence, which was why the brunet was so thin. He didn't have much time to eat during his work day, so he usually put it off until nighttime, sticking with breakfast and dinner for his daily meals. He had already decided that he was going to go and pick something up before his court appearance so that he would not be arriving on an empty stomach.

Seto was glad that he had the foresight to come in early. A couple of errors had occurred that would have made him late if he had arrived at the usual time. He stood up now and stretched, then glanced down at his paperwork. His secretary had a way of always knowing where things needed to go, a reason that he kept her around. His eyes traveled to the clock, and he let out a sigh of relief. He had plenty of time to get to the courts, so he really had no reason to be nervous. Punctuality was key for Seto, so he told his driver to be out front of the building in 10 minutes.

He exited not a minute too soon apparently, as his driver had just pulled up. Seto didn't great him with anything other than the normal scowl. His driver was used to it, and he didn't mind. He smiled to himself as he heard his boss emit a sigh from the backseat. He always worried that if Seto kept working himself like this, he was going to work himself to death. He never expressed his concern for the younger man though, knowing that Kaiba Seto would think it was wasted. Seto was the type that didn't like having others worry over his wellbeing. He could handle it on his own. What was meant to be just was. Many people that spent time with him knew that he had a dark sense of humor. He would crack sarcastic jokes about even the worst of situations in order to help him accept it.

Seto didn't bother putting up the divider. He turned his attention to the plate of sushi that had been set up for him. Normally he wouldn't eat before such an important meeting for fear of making a mess of himself, however he was extremely hungry. He grabbed up the chopsticks that had been laid out with the plate and ate a couple of pieces of sushi before putting it away. The reason that he was so thin was because he didn't eat too often, and when he did, it wasn't much. It was another thing that made his employees worry about him.

Relief washed over him when they came uon the courthouse. Seto looked up, feeling dread spread through him. The last time he had personally shown up in court was when Gozaburo was adopting them. He never wanted to think about that day again, but he wasn't given much choice, seeing as this was the very same court. He would never forget the chess game that had sealed their fates. If Seto had known that he would end up this way, he never would have cheated. It was the last time he truly smiled.

He entered the courthouse with the same scowl that he'd wore during the ride there, and quickly found where he was supposed to be. He was obviously early, as he had intended to be. Kaiba sat outside, waiting for the judge to be finished, and waiting for the young woman to arrive. He was not used to having to wait for anyone, but he wasn't about to barge in when they were already in the middle of another case. After all, he really didn't feel like being stuck in jail for the night on account of contempt.

Patience was something that Seto really needed to practice. He let out a small huff when the young woman he had hit finally appeared. The room was emptied and they were let in. Seto was well aware of how things worked. She had already looked over the case and decided on his punishment. He was well prepared to pay the fine. After all, he wasn't exactly short on money. And so, he waited to hear what she had to say. It took her a moment to find the right file, and then she looked down at them both from her seat. Seto quickly decided that he didn't like the grin on her face.

"Mr. Kaiba, I had just started looking over your case a few nights ago, but the perfect punishment quickly came to mind. Anyone in this city is aware of the fact that you have money, so paying a fine seems somewhat pointless. You wouldn't have to work at it, so I've come to a different conclusion." Seto decided that this was really bad, but kept his mouth shut to wait for her ruling.

"In the next 2 months, you will be performing community service. You will be counseling troubled teens at the Domino Center. I sure you know where that is. You will report on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. If you don't show up, I will know. The head of the department will be reporting to me, letting me know about the progress you make. So long as the work you've done with the teens is satisfactory, you will only need to attend for 2 months. If not, I will see you back in my courtroom at the end of that time, and we will decide on further punishment."

Seto felt a headache coming on. She wanted him to do community service? He already had a company to run. This was the worst day he'd had in some time. He had expected things to go his way. They usually did. But once the judge made her ruling, he knew that there was no arguing, which pissed him off to no end. He wanted to argue, and so he had opened his mouth to when she put her hand up to silence him. He looked thoroughly annoyed now.

"Mr. Kaiba, my decision is final. Do not argue with me." She looked at them both from over her glasses. "Ma'am, do you feel that this is reasonable?" The young girl nodded, a sweet smile on her face. If Seto could, he would have smacked that silly smile off her face. He couldn't belief that this was really happening to him. How was he supposed to work when he was stuck in some fucking detention center with teens that would probably want to rob him a gunpoint. Peachy, just peachy.

He huffed and exited the room in a fit of rage. The judge and the young girl smiled at each other. They were both hoping that perhaps working with others his age that were like him would pull that stick out of his ass. Of course, what no one knew at the time was that he already knew the boy he would be counseling very well. At the moment, Seto was trying to find some loophole around this community service crap he was being forced to do, but he was having no success.


	4. Chapter 4

Well, it looks like I'm slowly making a comeback. All stories are officially on hold until after the holidays, with the exception of a Christmas oneshot I intend to write. Here's the new chapter to hold everyone over! Merry Christmas, and just an FYI, reviews make GREAT Christmas presents. Thank you to all who have reviewed. You guys are the ones keeping this story alive. Jou'll take it from here.

Jou (reading from script): The Apathetic Empath does not own Seto or me, but Seto does own me and has given her permission to borrow me. WAIT! WHAT!?

And on with the story!

* * *

Seto paced back and forth, trying to think of any excuse he could in order to avoid having to do charity work. He wasn't exactly a people person, and he really didn't want to be stuck dealing with other teens who didn't know how to deal with their problems. He would rather be running his company, making sure that none of his employees screwed it up. Ever since the ruling, Mokuba had been hounding him about taking a long vacation and leaving everything to Isono. Seto chose to turn around, deciding to try and argue the judge's ruling in spite of what she had said. He didn't feel that it was fair that he was stuck having to counsel anyone when he had enough problems of his own. Seto wasn't some sort of psychologist. He was a businessman, and KaibaCorp was what he needed to focus on.

Besides, the teenagers that they counseled needed more help than just someone to listen. The damage was too deep for that place to really help them heal. A child's scars stuck with them their entire lives. The rates for teen suicide had skyrocketed in Domino more recently. The only reason Seto knew that was because Mokuba's friend's brother had recently tried to off himself and ended up at that same center.

The brunet stormed through the building, scaring anyone in his path as he headed for the judge's chambers. He didn't care what it took as long as he was able to get out of this punishment. It would be so much simpler to pay some sort of fine. Perhaps he could convince the judge that he knew what he had done wrong, and that he had learned from the experience.

He took a deep breath, preparing himself for what was to come before he entered her chambers. Finally, he walked in, looking at a tired old woman who was currently sitting and reviewing her next case. She looked up at him through horn-rimmed glasses, clearly irritated with his presence.

"Is there something I can help you with? Perhaps you need to be shown to the door?" Seto sighed once more before getting to the point.

"Ma'am, I have a company to run. I have meetings that I need to attend in the next couple of months in the United States and Germany. I am a CEO of a company, and I need to be present to be sure that everything is running smoothly. I'm afraid that as much as I would love to play dress up with the poor troubled children of Domino, I don't have time to." It was the judge's turn to sigh.

"Mr. Kaiba, your vocabulary seems fine, so I'm sure that you can understand what the word final means. I am not going to change my ruling, not even for you. You are privileged enough that others break the rules for you, but I am not willing to do so. I believe that it would do you some good to be around other children your age. Regardless of what you say, the punishment stands.

"Ma'am, I don't think you understand. I'm already responsible for other things, and those responsibilities come before petty community service." The judge had fire in her eyes.

"Petty though the punishment may be, you need to learn that even you, Seto Kaiba are not above the law. You will do as I say, or I will sentence you to jail time instead. I don't care about what that does to your reputation. You need to learn respect for others."

"Look, I'm not about to takes orders from old--"

"I dare you to finish that sentence Mr. Kaiba. I have the ability to double your amount of time at the center. It's your choice."

"Ma'am, with all due respect--"

"Mr. Kaiba," her tone was now very dangerous. "My decision is final, and no amount of arguing is going to change my mind. Now, if you please, I would appreciate that you stop wasting my time."

"But--"

"I'm about this close to throwing you in jail for a year for not complying with my ruling. You're already pushing your luck, so tread lightly."

"I'm sorry ma'am. Good day."

It had taken all he could not to start screaming and throwing a tantrum. Seto was no child, and he kept his composure, though just barely. He didn't know how he had managed with her threatening jail time. He might as well have just killed her there and then, but then that would defeat the purpose seeing as he would end up in jail even longer.  
He got into the car, looking extremely peeved now. As they drove, he thought about Mokuba's begging him to take a vacation when they had spoken earlier. His brother was always asking him to take a vacation, not just to spend time with him, but to relax for a bit.

-Flashback-

Seto had just exited the courthouse, feeling extremely annoyed with the ruling. He pulled out his cell phone to call Mokuba at home and inform him. Mokuba seemed excited to talk to him, at least from what the brunet gathered. He seemed ecstatic at the idea of Seto doing community service, and decided that maybe Seto should take some time off as well. Something like this could take a mental toll on others.

Seto had humphed at the idea, feeling that it was unfair to even have to do this crap. Still, it was better to get it done and over with so that he wouldn't have to endure any longer. Of course, he had already told Mokuba that he was going to try to get the ruling reversed and see if there was any way that he could just pay a fine, but the younger boy had protested. He didn't think it would be fair for his older brother to get off that easily. Thanks a lot, Mokuba, he had thought to himself.

-End Flashback-

Now he sat in the back with his arms crossed, pretty much pouting as he thought about what had just happened. The driver loved that pout. It made his boss seem like an innocent child instead of the ruthless bastard they had come to know. In his opinion, there was far more to Seto than he ever let anyone see. Of course, not many people were allowed to get close to Seto, so no one else got to see him like this. To the driver, it was actually quite an honor. He didn't have those kids of feelings for the coldhearted CEO. He just wanted to see both the brothers happy. It didn't take much to make Mokuba happy, but when it came to Seto, he was impossible to please. They were polar opposites. His driver was happy that he had this job, and he had easily learned how to handle driving Kaiba around. Seto had his talkative moods, though they were rare. Most of the time, he would just talk to himself, trying to work things out aloud as his mind processed them.

He had actually heard Seto say many things as he spoke to himself, and one of the utmost interest was when he talked to himself about Jounouchi. The man had quickly noticed that his boss talked more about Jou than he did anyone else with the exception of Mokuba. He knew that there was something there, although he had chosen not to say anything about Kaiba's obvious obsession. The CEO himself hadn't realized it. He had taken any emotion he felt towards Jou and turned it towards a fight or an argument. Most might think that Seto hated him, but the limo driver had a feeling that Seto had feelings for the blond that he himself didn't understand.

Seto stared out the window, thinking about what type of person he was going to be counseling for the next two months? He hoped that it would be someone that was easy to deal with. He turned to his driver, having a change of heart as to where he was headed. It was a quick decision, and the limousine's tires screeched to a halt before the driver turned the car around with a small amount of difficulty.

"I want to head to the corporation and speak with Isono quickly, and then from there I am going to the center for a few minutes."

Seto had a quick meeting with Isono where he went over what he wanted done for the next two months, as well as what the representative who went to his business meetings was to say and do. Isono was being left in charge of the company while he took a vacation, deciding that Mokuba was right and that this whole counseling thing was going to take a toll on his psyche.

Isono seemed relieved that Seto was getting away from the corporation for a little while. For a long time, his stepfather's company had sucked up most of Seto's life, and he had forgotten what it was like to go out and enjoy himself. He also hoped that maybe the young Kaiba would make a few friends in the process. He needed to act more like a teenager and less like a businessman.  
Seto seemed as if he had something else on his mind, but it wasn't Isono's place to ask. If he wanted to talk about it, he would. If not, he was sure that Seto would handle it in his own way. He watched as Kaiba left the building, noticing that he seemed to be taking his time. That was unusual. He was used to seeing the young CEO always in a hurry to get to where he was going.

Seto climbed back into the limo, and about 10 minutes later, they had arrived at the center for troubled teens. Why didn't they just call it a detention center anyways? He looked up at the building, feeling like he was entering the mouth of a beast as he made his way through the doors and to the front desk. A young woman looked up at him with a smile, her head resting on intertwined hands.

"Ah, Mr. Kaiba. What can I do for you?"

"I would like to know if there's a particular person that I'm going to be assigned to for the time that I volunteer here." He kept his cool, not bearing his teeth as much as he had wanted to. "Well, they asked us to go a little easy on you seeing as you didn't seem too eager to take this on. I thought that we could assign you to a patient that has been here for awhile and has greatly improved." He wanted to know the name, but as she looked at her computer screen, her eyes widened.

"I'm sorry Mr. Kaiba, but it looks like the patient we had in mind was actually sent home this morning." The brunet looked extremely frustrated.

"All right, I'll be back to start tomorrow then." He stormed out of the place, doing his best to make sure that he kept the usual stoic mask upon his face. He got back into the limo, slamming the door. The driver knew that meant that things hadn't gone the way that Seto had wanted. He looked in the mirror for no more than 5 seconds and started driving towards Kaiba mansion without even being told the destination. On the bright side, at least he would get to spend his night with Mokuba.

He was relieved to see that they were upon the mansion, feeling exhausted from the events of the day. Honestly, he was surprised that the judge had been so efficient. She had already contacted the center to let them know that he would be working with them. He wondered if she had done that before or after he barged into her chambers and tried to argue his way out of the situation. Either way it didn't matter. He was still upset with his punishment, though he knew that there was nothing that he could do about it. He would have to make the best out of a shitty situation.

He watched as the tall iron gates opened, allowing him entrance to his home. His security system was a complex combination of small processes using futuristic gadgets. He didn't like the idea of some genius fangirl figuring out how to get into his mansion and then molesting him in his sleep. Nope, Kaiba wasn't paranoid, not at all. He waited as the machine by the door scanned his retinas, recognizing them and allowing him access to the next machine, which took his fingerprints. After a few more quick scans, the doors swung open.

Mokuba had known that he was home, but he knew better to open the door. The last time he had let Seto in, he had been scolded because for all he knew, an intruder could have been at the door. Mokuba could understand his older brother's reasoning, but he thought Seto's security system was slightly over the top. He would never say that to Seto though, because his brother would react with the '1 million logical reasons for having such a system' list. Mokuba had already heard it 3 times, and since then he had learned that it was better to not bring the subject up at all.

When his brother finally entered, Mokuba's arms instantly wrapped around him. He had already been told by Isono that his brother was going to be taking a vacation, and Mokuba had promised to take good care of him. He wanted Seto to be allowed to relax now that he was taking a long break from work. Of course, the younger brother knew that it wasn't all going to be peaches and cream when it came to Seto counseling the teen that he was assigned, but he would do what he could to make the rest of the CEO's vacation as easy as possible. After all, Mokuba felt that he deserved it.

He felt the smile emanating from the elder Kaiba even before he looked up to actually see the expression. That smile was reserved only for Mokuba. He smiled back, not wanting to let go just yet. This was the best day of his life. He had never thought that his brother would be willing to take a break from his grueling job. He would have to remember to thank the judge for considering his suggestion. He had never thought that it would go exactly as planned. He knew that if Seto ever found out, he would probably skin Mokuba alive. Still, it was well worth it to know that for a time, he was going to have his brother back.

He smiled into the deep blue eyes that melted every time that they full upon him. He meant the world to his big brother, and he knew that being the CEO of a large company would never change their relationship. Sure, he wished that Seto would spend more time with him, but he also understood what it was like for a teenager who suffered the way that his brother had to have to grow up so quickly and become the breadwinner in order to give Mokuba a comfortable life. Their life was far more than comfortable. With Gozaburo out of the picture, it was nearly perfect. Cut Seto's work schedule in half, and it would have been absolutely ideal. Unfortunately, nothing in life can be absolutely perfect.

Seto looked down at him, wondering just what he was thinking at the moment, though he decided not to ask. His smiled was still in place as he took Mokuba's hand in his and led him into the kitchen. The elder boy began rummaging through the refrigerator, looking for something that he could make. He seriously couldn't remember the last time he had prepared a meal for Mokuba or himself. Cooking was a passion he'd had to give up when he took over the company. Even so, he knew he could still make a decent meal without killing either of them. Mokuba, on the other hand, would be better off sticking to video games. There was a time when he had tried to make pumpkin pie for the two of them, and Seto swore that at that point he was going to be an assassin, using food as his weapon. Since then, the CEO had a particular dislike for pumpkin pie, and stuck more to apple.

He found a few things that he could make. He pulled them out, asking Mokuba to help him choose just what he wanted for dinner. Of course, he knew what Mokuba was going to say. As usual, he wanted cheeseburgers. Although he was Japanese, Mokuba loved American cuisine. It was the strangest thing. Seto could stomach some of it, but much of it made him sick. It was extremely fatty and greasy. At the same time, he was only accustomed to American fast food, so he couldn't really judge their home cooking. In any case, he had every intention of staying with Japanese food. For tonight, though, he was going to make them what Mokuba wanted. This was going to be a treat for his little brother.

Seto preferred to make cheeseburgers from scratch, so he grabbed ground meat that appeared to have been defrosting in the fridge. He looked back at Mokuba, but decided not to ask what was going through his mind. _Where the fuck did this come from? Have they been feeding him this whenever I'm not home?_ He kept his questions to himself, not feeling it appropriate to prod Mokuba about his diet when his brother wasn't around. He molded the odd feeling meat into 2 decently sized meatballs before flattening them. Mokuba just watched with a bored expression while waiting for his meal. He knew that Seto usually took his time, and he had to remind himself that his brother cooking for him was a rare treat several times.

Seto pulled out a cookie sheet and set it down on the table, placing both patties upon it. Mokuba was staring out the window, watching a mother bird tend to her nest outside, a few feet above where they were. The windows in the kitchen stretched very far up, allowing in a good amount of sunlight. It was only a small part of why Mokuba loved the kitchen. The other, much more important reason was that this was where all the food was. If one didn't know better, they might mistake his appetite for that of Jounouchi Katsuya. Mokuba smiled at that name, the same bright smile in his mind's eye that always appeared when he thought of Jou. To him, the blond was a good friend, though he noticed that there was something odd between Seto and him. They were constantly arguing, but Jou was the only one Seto ever teased to that extreme. Seto didn't usually tease people that he liked, so Mokuba had ruled that option out long ago. Still, just because he didn't like him didn't mean he couldn't love him. Like and love were two very different feelings.

Seto looked at Mokuba again, curious once more about what was going through the younger Kaiba's mind. Still, he felt that it would be better not to ask, so instead he kept to himself, now putting the patties in the oven. He set a timer, then sat down next to his brother and pulled out his laptop. Mokuba's reaction was an angry huff, and for the first time since he could remember, Seto instantly closed it and put it away. He had never realized that his younger brother held such power over him. He didn't want Mokuba to be angry with him, so instead, he thought of something for them both to do.

Although it was a simple game, tic tac toe still took some strategy to play. It was interesting to see how Mokuba had developed a sixth sense for his brother's techniques. They each won a fair amount of games, tying at 23 when the timer finally went off. Seto stood, and behind him Mokuba mouthed finally, glad that he would finally get some food. Seto pulled them out, waited for them to cool down, and then set up both their meals. Apparently at some point he had thrown fries in there as well, probably while Mokuba had been watching the birds.

There was a big smile on the younger Kaiba's face as he stared at the plates in Seto's hands. He couldn't remember the last time that he had eaten a meal made by his brother. Seto looked happy as well, glad to see be able to spare some time for his brother. He set each plate down before them, and Mokuba leaned in, taking in the smell of the homemade burger. He looked up at his brother, who gave a small nod, and Mokuba dug right in. There was a small chuckle from Seto as he watched the younger boy's antics. Mokuba was a messy eater, though that had never bothered him. As long as he cleaned up well afterwards, Seto could really care less about his table manners in their own home. If they were out and about, Mokuba would remember on his own to mind his manners. Seto hardly ever had to remind him. Of course, in the privacy of their home, he felt that it was fair that Mokuba be allowed to act like himself, even if that meant making a mess of himself and the table.

* * *

Once they were done, each excused himself from the table before heading up to their rooms. In the mansion there were 6 main bedrooms, and each had its own full bathroom attached. Seto was feeling the need to take a long soak, so he turned the knobs to fill the tub with warm water. His coat dropped from his shoulders down to the floor. He watched for a moment as the water rose a bit into the giant tub, and then pulled off his boots. Seto pulled his shirt over his head to reveal well toned muscles, and then dropped his pants and boxers. He hissed at the cold air against sensitive areas, and made his way into the tub, a peaceful smile on his face. The water washed away all his worries, clearing his mind as if he was meditating. For some reason, water seemed to do that to him.

Seto actually feel asleep in the tub, but woke up when he found that he starting to breathe in water instead of oxygen. He let out a small cough, opening his eyes to see where he was. Everything appeared hazy, as his eyes were taking a moment to adjust to the light. Still, he didn't even need to see the bathroom to know precisely where he was. The room smelled of nutmeg like him, which told him that he was in his own house. The water made him aware that he had been bathing. He remembered falling asleep as well.

It appeared that he really needed to sleep if he couldn't even remember getting into the bath less than an hour ago. He sighed, getting up and grabbing a towel to wrap around himself. Apparently Mokuba had the same idea, seeing as his hair was wet and he was also clad in a towel. They might not have looked much like siblings, but they sure thought like brothers. He gave his brother a smile, patting his head before each entered their room. So that was what had possessed him to go down the hall instead of just going through the door linking the bedroom and bathroom. He had said good night now, and he was ready to lie down and rest. He pushed open the door to his room, walked over to the closet, and pulled out a pair of silk blue pajamas. Once dressed, he climbed into bed, pulling up the blankets and letting out a sigh before closing his eyes. Seto's mind was clear, and he had no issue falling asleep.

Two amber eyes slowly opened to a blur. Jou had no idea where he was. He couldn't remember anything that had happened last night, nor did he care. After a few minutes, the haziness in his vision wore off, and he noticed that he was sleeping on a bench. He wondered what the gang would do if they knew that he had been sleeping outside. The more he pondered that thought, the more he realized that he simply didn't care.

He sat up and felt a sharp pain shoot through his back. It was probably from the wood against his body. He stretched and yawned getting funny looks from a few passersby. Jou shrugged, running his hand through the unruly blond locks on his head in order to straighten them as much as possible. They were as neat as could possibly get by the time he was done, the same messy mop that people usually saw. Tired eyes looked around him to see what part of town he had landed in. This place definitely seemed upper class. He looked around, and saw the Domino bridge, which confirmed his suspicions. The bridge led into the richest part of the city.

He sat up, trying to remember why he felt so void of emotion. His father's death took a moment to come back to him. That bastard had committed suicide, leaving him all alone in this world with nothing. Jou didn't feel sorry for himself. He didn't really feel anything. The confusion from a few days ago had died down into a numbness that had affected his entire personality. The brightness that usually lingered in the amber hues had left, leaving them a dull, empty brown. He was usually optimistic, always trying to brighten his friends' perspective. Unfortunately, that optimism had completely gone. He had been dull and a drag for the few days that he had been around his friends. They claimed that they understood, but Honda and Anzu got increasingly irritable with each passing hour, while Yugi and Atemu made up excuses to avoid him, to nice to ever say what he knew they were all thinking. Ryou and Bakura didn't mind his company, but they had just gone on a vacation, taking Malik and Marik along with them as a treat.

Jou felt as if he was completely alone. For once in his life, his friends, who had promised to always be there for him, weren't. He hadn't gone to school at all that week, and he had no intention of going back. Instead, he was just going to live on the streets for the rest of his life, scrounging on people's trash in order to supply what his body needed in order to survive. The dream of actually making something of himself had died along with everything else that was good about him. College was no longer a thought. Now, everything was about survival. That was what mattered the most.

He looked down at the ground, seeing an old newspaper. One of the smaller headlines on the front page was about his father. There were no more tears to shed for the man. He had taken his life and left someone that needed him in some oddly twisted way behind. There wasn't going to be any sort of funeral unless someone else planned it. The teen was far too exhausted to deal with the arrangements, and he knew he wouldn't be able to afford the cost. It took a small fortune to bury someone these days, and he would be better off taking that kind of money and using towards himself. It made more sense to put the money towards a living person's needs over the ceremony of a dead man. Why pay funeral costs when the person it was about wouldn't even remember?

Jou got up, turning up the collar of his jacket so that he wouldn't be quite as recognizable. He didn't know what to do or where to go, so for the past few days, he had been wondering about the city, falling asleep wherever he felt like when he began to feel tired. He only had the clothes on his back, which had begun to smell funny. Jou ignored the stench, not really caring about what sort of odor was emanating from him. All that mattered was that he had those clothes. He didn't give a damn about his physical appearance. If others didn't like the way that he looked, then all they really had to do was turn the other cheek and pretend that he wasn't in their presence.

He continued to walk around, with no idea where he was going or what he was going to do. He looked around at the shops that were surrounding him, wondering if maybe there was a pizza shop around that threw extra food in the back. He decided to find out firsthand, heading to the back of the building to see what he could find for food. The trash was definitely full. He began digging through, trying to find what he could. He lucked out, and after less than 5 minutes he found some crust that he could eat. Jou wondered if the owner had seen him come back, or just happened to be coming out to the trash when he happened to be there. Either way, he was chased away from his food source. His stomach rumbled as he looked at all the places around him. So this was what upper Domino was like. Even the older buildings here looked like they were worth millions. He wished that he could afford to live in a place like this.

The idea that he had no money was something that he was just going to have to get used to. He would probably remain a homeless bum for the rest of his days. He might as well get used to the idea of starving and scavenging for food, as well as being chased away like that by shop owners. Of course, he didn't know if they would all stop at that, but he hoped that none would chase him down. It was possible that he could be arrested, though he didn't quite understand how. It was all trash, so it should have been free to take. Of course, he was well aware that this just isn't how the world works. Instead, a man could protect whatever he felt was his, whether it be trash or treasure.

He walked by the business district, and for some reason, KaibaCorp caught his eye. He thought of the spoiled billionaire Seto Kaiba, who always made sure that he insulted Jou with some sort of dog comment. Jou scowled at the thought of the bastard. He didn't hate Kaiba, but he wasn't exactly fond of the other male either. He had never understood why Seto bothered with him. If he really was the worthless mutt that Kaiba called him, then why was it that he took the time out of his day to make sure that Jou was thoroughly pissed off? He was tired from pondering the antics of the CEO, and chose to focus on something that didn't completely confuse him.

He was well aware of the reason that he was such a nuisance to his friends, but that didn't make it hurt any less. He felt that they were being a little harsh considering everything that he'd been going through. He couldn't believe that Yugi, of all people, was avoiding him. He had always been there for the smaller teen, making sure that he had the support that he needed. Jou had been a good friend no matter how he felt about the situation. He was supportive of Yugi. Why couldn't Yugi be the same for him?

As far as he was concerned, they were all just being selfish. Anzu, who was usually the one that gave friend speeches, had even abandoned him. It was just like her too. He had been talking to her mostly online by going to the library, and she had quickly gotten sick of listening to his complaining. Instead of changing the subject, she just walked away from the computer, not returning. He had then decided that his friends were no good. They seemed to care less about him than he had ever thought. He felt completely alone. How had it come down to this?

He wished he hadn't put so much faith in them. It wouldn't have been quite this disappointing when they let him down. In truth, they reminded him of different traits that his old man had possessed. He had found himself thinking more and more about his father lately. He couldn't but wonder if the elder Jounouchi had the right idea in committing suicide. It was the quick way out of this complicated world. Perhaps his father was in a better place now, where he could be happy with what life, or in this case death handed him.

He had no particular destination in mind, but for some reason Jou found himself standing outside of Kaiba mansion. He stared up at the large house, wondering what it was like to live there. For all he knew, there was some sort of torture chamber inside. Jou's train of thought had been the same morbid freight ever since his father's death. He looked through the bars, wondering if Kaiba was home at the moment. He guessed probably not, seeing as moneybags seemed to love killing himself with work.

If it had been Jou, he would have been sure to put his own sibling before running a corporation. Everyone had their own way of coping with things, and though he didn't understand it, the Kaiba's attitude was what made him the bastard that he was. Sometimes Jou wished that they could switch places and he could see, even for a day, what it would be like to live the life that Seto Kaiba had. He wondered if doing so would turn him into the same robot that the CEO had become.

With a sigh, he made his way about town, shoulders slumped as defeat really kicked in. Since he had received the news, he had been in denial, thinking that perhaps if he travelled through Domino, he would find the elder Jounouchi hiding out in a bar. He had been unable to fathom the idea that he was really alone. None of this felt like reality. It all felt like some bad nightmare that he was going to wake up from at any moment.

He looked around him and noticed that he had made his way back to Domino Bridge. Jou's eyes widened as an idea struck him. Yes, suicide was the quick way out. Why not share the same fate as his father? He looked around him to see how many people were sitting around him. There were a few here and there, just passing by who didn't even notice him. He shrugged, deciding that if this was how people were going to see him, not at all, then this was the best path for him. He was invisible, nothing more than a face in the crows. What was the heart wrenching fact about his decision was that if just one person had taken the time to realize what was on the boy's mind, they might have been able to stop him sooner.

Jou walked over to the edge of the bridge and looked over the side to see just how high it was. It was at least 100 feet up, and surely he would be killed from the drop. That was exactly how he wanted it. He peered over his shoulder one last time before climbing up on the side, staring down at the river below him. He felt dizzy just standing there, and he lost his footing. Jou caught himself, deciding that he was going to take a moment to gather his thoughts and talk himself into this again before he took the 100 foot plunge. That moment was all it took.

The shopkeeper had been having a rather uneventful day, save for the rascal that had decided to try and dig through his trash for food. It wasn't his fault that the boy was a homeless bum, and he didn't feel that the kid had a right to scavenge through his waste to try and feed himself. He didn't usually have any issues in these parts of town, seeing as his shop was in the higher end of Domino. As a matter of fact, he found it quite odd that a random kid had just suddenly shown up looking for food. That didn't happen around here.

He brought a broom outside to sweep the front of the shop free of all the sand and dirt that had been blown onto his doorstep by the light wind. With a sigh, the man reflected on what his week had been like. For some reason, it seemed like he had gained quite a few new customers, including a group of kids, mostly boys. The kid that really stuck out was a short kid with spiky, tricolored hair. He seemed a little shy, but overall he was a nice kid from the shopkeeper's experience.

There was a little blond girl that none of them seemed quite comfortable with yet. She seemed all right, but within the first 10 minutes of knowing her, he had gotten the impression that she was extremely demanding. Of course, he had never seen the boy from earlier traveling with the group, so he had no idea that he was a friend of theirs. He just seemed like some street kid who was trying to steal from a good and honest citizen.

After a moment, the older man heard someone hitting their car horn hard, and he looked up. That moment must have been fate, because had it been even a second later, the kid would be dead. Thankfully, even though he was older, the shopkeeper was still in decent shape. He made his way to the side of the bridge where the blond boy from before was standing on the edge. He grabbed the teen's hand, making the boy jump and spin around to see who was there. To tell the truth, he wasn't sure what to think of the kid at this point. Had he really just tried to take his own life? He didn't have long to ponder that thought before the blond boy slipped, having lost his footing when he spun around. The older man still had his hand though, and he was holding on tight. He wasn't going to let the kid fall into the water below. Of course, he wasn't quite sure if that was what that boy intended, or if he had just decided to be a reckless daredevil. Either way, he was going to get himself killed if he wasn't careful.

Jou could feel the hand of the old man grabbing him, and he spun around in surprise, not sure what the guy wanted. Perhaps he preferred to kill the teen himself for having attempted to steal from him. After a moment, he felt his own eyes widen as he lost his footing, slipping off the edge and falling… The fall stopped after a moment as he dangled from the hand of the other man. Jou waited for him to let go, keeping his eyes closed. He was anticipating the falling feeling that would surely knock the wind out of him, and the crash down to the surface that would end his life. They never came.

Instead, he felt himself being slowly hoisted up by the shopkeeper, who was now struggling to get him up to the edge. Once he was far enough up, the man threw his other arm around Jou's torso, pulling him over the side and back to safety. The teen felt a mixture of emotions towards him. He felt thankful for having just been saved, but angry that his attempt at suicide had been foiled. On top of it, this man would probably be looked at as some kind of hero, and that just didn't seem fair. However, Jou knew very well that life isn't fair.

Even though Jou seemed extremely shaken up, the guy didn't stick around to console him. He had left, leaving the kid there on his own. Jou went to stand, but found himself on shaky legs. There were salty tears forming in his eyes, and they were threatening to pour out, but he wasn't going to let them if he could help it. He didn't want to start crying out here for the public eye to see. Instead, he pulled himself over to a corner that was covered by the shadows.

After a moment, the shopkeeper came back out holding a blanket in his hand, as well as something else. Jou could smell the sweet aroma of pastries from where the guy stood, and it made him wonder what the old man was up to. Currently, he was staring at the spot that Jou had been in just a moment before, but when it dawned on him that the teen was no longer there, his eyes began to wander searching for the boy that he had just saved. When he caught sight of Jou, he walked over to him and wrapped the blanket around the kid before sitting down next to him. He didn't ask any questions. He only sat there in a comfortable but questioning silence as the kid ate the pastries he had brought for him.

The shopkeeper had already called the center for troubled teens, and he was awaiting their arrival. Although he would have loved to, the old man couldn't afford to take a kid in. He and his wife had no children, and it would have been a delight to have someone around the house, but they also couldn't provide this boy the type of counseling he needed. He had just attempted to end his life. He certainly needed some kind of psychiatrist.

It was a few more minutes before one of the men who helped run the organization arrived. He exited a small, black Nissan Versa and made his way over to where the young teen sat, still wrapped in a blanket. The best way to approach a kid, he had found, was to level with them, literally. He sat down and looked into a pair of troubled amber eyes, offering a friendly smile. The boy just turned and stared at the ground. The guy himself was a bit young, though he was still this teen's senior by at least 5 years. It seemed that younger counselors had an easier time relating to the teens that they worked with.

It took a while to get the smaller blond to acknowledge that he was there, but when he finally did, the young man, whose name was Daichi, gave the same smile he had before. The blond didn't return it, but continued to look at him as if he was really looking right through him. Daichi was certain that the teen knew just why he was here, and he hoped that it wouldn't make the job harder than it already was. After all, he was here to try to help him.

Jou had noticed that the dark-haired man who was now sitting on his left seemed to be some sort of official. He had already smiled at the smaller teen twice, and Jou found that it was really making him uncomfortable. He tried his best to keep eye contact, but looked away after a few awkward minutes. He had a feeling that he knew where he was going. Jou was almost certain that he was being sent to the detention center where they put all of what they considered to be teen scum.

He felt some anger at the shopkeeper now, knowing that he was the one who had called this asshole here. The only reason that the old man had offered him anything was to try to keep him in the same spot until the authorities got here. He was irritated at himself for having trusted the other man to stay even this long. If he had realized what was going on sooner, he would have been gone by now. He knew that now there was no getting away. From what he had been told, these people carried things like stun guns and drugs in case the kid they were after tried to escape. It almost made them sound like a child molesting service.

It was about an hour and a half later that the dark-haired young man stood up, holding a hand out to Jou. He didn't want to take it, he was very reluctant to, but he knew that he really didn't have a choice. If Jou protested, he had no idea what they would do to him. He took the man's hand, allowing himself to be helped up. The one who was helping him up pulled a little too hard and Jou ended up in his arms. Daichi gave a sickeningly sweet smile, making Jou scowl in return. The dark-haired man paid no attention to it. He put his hand on the smaller blond's back, rubbing it lightly. Jou wanted to pull away, but it seemed that this guy had a death grip.

He led Jou over to the car, opening the door for him as if he was a lady. Another scowl, which Daichi ignored once more, and then they were on their way. He had prepared Jou's room for him earlier, trying to make it seem as comfortable as possible. He didn't want the little puppy—he wasn't sure why, but Jou reminded him of a puppy—to run away from the center. After all, they were there to help others, not hurt them.

Daichi was blasting the music in the car, which Jou was unconsciously singing along to, a smile on his face. Looking over at the young blond, he felt a little bit better knowing that although Jou was obviously nervous about the new place he was going to be going to, he was at least a little bit happy. His head was bobbing along with the beat as he hit his knees, a habit he'd always had while listening to music. His window was down and the wind was currently blowing through his mop of hair, messing it up even more than it had been.

They arrived after a little while in an upper middle class part of Domino. Jou had been here many times. This was where Yugi lived. He felt a stab of pain in the chest as he thought about how much of a jerk his old friend had been to him lately. He knew Yugi wasn't doing it on purpose, but it still hurt to know that his best friend was not standing by him. Instead, he had decided that Jou was too unbearable for him, so he was coming up with some lame ass excuses about how he had places to be. Whatever happened to sticking by your best friend in their time of need? He would have to remember this the next time that Yugi needed something from him.

Finally, they arrived at the center, which sort of reminded him of some sort of vacation resort. If it had been, then it would have been one of those places reserved for the upper class. He smiled again, but then remembered that Daichi was in the car with him. The smile turned into a scowl as he turned to look at the guy sitting next to him. Something about him seemed a little off, almost as if he liked having Jou close to him like this. It would have been enough to make the younger male fear for his virginity if he had still been pure.

* * *

The next morning Kaiba awoke well rested and ready for the day, that is, until he remembered that he had to go to that stupid counseling thing today. He let out a sigh, getting up and getting dressed. His body instantly missed the feel of soft, smooth silk as it was replaced by cotton. He pulled on his white trench coat, his favorite of the bunch that he had, and slipped it on with ease. Mokuba had been awake way ahead of him, and had been his alarm clock today. Of course, he knew that his big brother had somewhere to be, so Seto promised that they would get a chance to do something together later.

He headed out into the garage and grabbed one of the less expensive cars, not wanting the kids to see an expensive car and get the idea of breaking into it. From there, he headed out, taking a bit to get to the center. He looked up at the building, remembering the meeting he'd had with the secretary yesterday. The person he was supposed to work with had been sent home yesterday morning. He wondered just who he was going to get stuck with now.

Seto made his way into the building, making a grand entrance as if he owned the place, a random gust of wind blowing his coat dramatically behind him. He smirked at the people there who cowered in fear before him, but the smirk was quickly replaced with a more stoic look as he headed for the secretary's desk. She smiled, waving her disgusting acrylic nails around to try and make a show of them before telling him which room the kid he was working with was in.

Of course, Seto hadn't bothered to ask for the name of the kid, and though she had informed him that he was working with someone new that would need consistency, not a thought crossed his mind as to who it could be. As a matter of fact, he had been almost certain that he wouldn't know the person. He was sadly mistaken. Seto knocked and then pushed open the door. He was greeted by a smaller, thinner teen whose head was down, blond mop over his eyes. Seto didn't even have to see the face to know who it was.

"You," he pointed accusingly at the teen. Jou didn't look up. Seto already felt agitated, and they hadn't even begun.

"Me," the blond replied quietly, staring at his hands.

* * *

Let me know what you think and if there's a way to improve the story!


	5. Chapter 5

I apologize in advance for the very short update. This took me forever to write for many reasons, and I'm not going to make any promises that the next update will be quick, though I will try my best. I hope everyone enjoys, and that this will hold you over until the next chapter. Thanks for reading!

~TheApatheticEmpath!

* * *

You," he pointed accusingly at the teen. Jou didn't look up. Seto already felt agitated, and they hadn't even begun.

"Me," the blond replied quietly, staring at his hands.

Seto stared at the other boy, feeling confusion wash over him. He had no idea what to say or what to think. Jou was here… In the detention center… The place for troubled teens. There was no way that the puppy was a troubled teen. What the hell was he doing here? Seto's agitation grew as a million questions ran through his head. Jou wasn't even bothering to look at him, which really pissed the CEO off. He glared at Jou, but it was pointless. The smaller male seemed too infatuated with his own hands. Kaiba began to wonder if Jou had even recognized his voice.

He had finally stopped pointing at the other, but his mouth was still hung open in shock, and he looked like a gaping idiot. Jou was sitting here, right before him. The CEO felt a mixture of emotions wash over him as he contemplated what had brought the other to this place. There had to be a reason. He knew that it would be pointless to ask. It seemed like Jou was lost in his own world, and he probably wouldn't be willing to answer any of Seto's questions.

He made his way slowly back to the secretary, dreading their chat. Once he arrived back at the service desk, she gave him a funny look. There was no way that Kaiba could counsel Jou. He was already agitated with the idiot, and he knew that if he even tried, he was going to die from stress levels that were off the charts. As it was, he had had to resist his temptation to strangle what was wrong with the other out of him.

"I'm sorry, but I can't work with that boy… I know him personally… We don't have a very good relationship." The secretary practically scoffed at what he had to say. It was well known that Kaiba didn't really have a good relationship with anybody besides his younger brother. She received the infamous Kaiba glare, but shrugged it off. She wasn't the type to be bothered by some bitter little boy that didn't know how to control his temper.

"Look, Mr. Kaiba, he's the only person that I have open for counseling. He was brought in yesterday after he attempted to jump off a bridge." Seto's eyes widened at that new piece of information. The puppy had tried to kill himself… Why? The secretary sighed and handed Kaiba Jou's personal file. "This is everything you need to know about him and his family. It might help you to know a bit more about him. He hasn't been social at all since he came in. He's just been in his room, staring at his hands the way you saw when you went in there." Seto nodded, opening the file and skimming quickly through it. Something caught his eye. Jou's father had recently committed suicide… very recently. It was the same day that he last spotted the dweeb patrol in the park.

Seto continued to read about Jounouchi, soaking in all the information. He had never really known much about the mutt, and to have access to his history… well, Kaiba was in his glory. He returned to the room a bit later, looking at Jou now with full understanding. Seto even felt some sympathy for the other teen. He watched the blond as he stared at his hands, wondering how he was going to break him out of this trance. After a few minutes, Seto got an idea.

He sat next to Jou on the bed, glancing over at him now and again. Jou didn't bother to look up at him, not really caring who was there. He just wanted to be left alone honestly, to be depressed. Kaiba could just barely see his eyes, and they resembled the time that Marik had possessed him. It was almost as if the mutt was… soulless. It gave Seto chills to see the normally fiery and passionate male looking so… so empty.

To tell the truth, seeing Jou like this scared Seto. He didn't know why, but he was suddenly determined to make the puppy smile once more. He wanted that happy-go-lucky attitude to come back. Seto was already missing the boy who always fought back, and no matter how many times he lost, always came back for more. He had to do something about Jou. He had to bring the person that Jou was back, even if it was for no one's sake but his own.

Jou had barely noticed Seto when he entered the first time, or the second for the matter. He kept on tracing over the lines on his hands, trying to figure out why he had been made to suffer so much. Jou had tried so hard to straighten himself out so many times, but he was broken. No one would ever be able to fix him. He had died with his father, and now his body sat there, an empty shell. He no longer felt. He no longer cared. He was numb.

Jou was stuck in a place where he was all alone. No one else existed. He just floated along endlessly, through the nothingness. The area was completely white. He was the only thing there. He needed to break out of this trance, but he couldn't. He didn't want to come back to earth and deal with all the shit anymore. He wanted to be forgotten and die alone, just as he had intended yesterday on the bridge. He had nothing to offer the world.

It was strange to know that someone was sitting right next to you, but not to actually feel them there. He had no idea who it was. All he knew was that he'd heard a familiar voice not too long ago. He couldn't place the voice, but he knew it was someone he wasn't happy to see. Then again, the blond was no longer happy to see anyone. He wished that the world would just go away and leave him alone. The fact that, as he walked through the streets yesterday, and climbed onto the side of the bridge without anyone noticing said more than enough.

Jou heard a voice after a little while, slowly pulling him back into reality. He recognized it instantly as Seto Kaiba, and he gave an audible groan, not wanting to deal with the jerk CEO at the moment. He would rather swallow rat poison… He would have to save that idea for later. He looked up slowly at Kaiba, who was rattling on about something or other. Jou could really care less at the moment. What was bothering him was the fact that Kaiba was sitting next to him at all.

His eyes had a small amount of fire in them, just enough to make him defiant. He didn't want to deal with anyone at the moment, but especially this man. Why was it that the one person that he couldn't stand had to be the one sitting next to him, going off about… Did he just say algorithms? Why the hell was this idiot talking about math at a time like this? Jou glared at him, and Seto suddenly looked at him a little surprised. The blond caught a glimpse of soft blue before they became steely again, as if Seto had just put his barrier back up.

He found himself getting more irritated with Jou by the moment. He wanted to smack him, to shake him, to get some sort of reaction other than this. Why was the blond so… blank? It was as if he had lost his soul. In order to avoid hitting the mutt, he exited the room, and then the building. He just couldn't deal with this. The irritating secretary that he had met earlier called after him, but he simply ignored her.

He pulled open the limo door himself and slammed it shut, startling the driver from his sleep. He looked through the mirror at his boss, and was met with a deadly gaze. He began to head for the mansion, expecting their ride to be silent. However, soon he heard Kaiba talking to himself. The brunet was pondering how Jounouchi had gotten that way. So he had seen his love interest at the center.

He wondered himself what would have happened to put the high spirited teen at a place like that. Seto had taken his paperwork and was looking over it at the moment. Perhaps that was the reason that the secretary had been calling after him. Patient information was supposed to remain confidential. It wasn't like Kaiba was going to spread this information around or post it on the web though.

One thing he noticed in the description made him see red. According to Jounouchi, at first his friends had tried to be helpful and supportive. But when they weren't able to pull him out of his depression, they got sick of this new person and abandoned him. He felt his body tense in anger as he thought about that. Why would they claim that the mutt was their best friend and that they would stick by him through thick and thin, and then just leave him like he was nothing all of a sudden? It was obvious that when the hard times came for the blond, they wanted nothing to do with it. That bothered Seto greatly. If it was him, he would hold Jou and allow him to cry, talk to him about the problems and listen to what he had to say. He would be there to comfort the mutt, even if they didn't get along most times. Why? Because Seto understood what it was like to feel completely alone.

As he thought about it, he realized that he had just left Jounouchi there alone. He began to feel guilty about it, but he had left with he intention of not losing his temper with the dog. He decided that he would try harder tomorrow. Knowing a bit more gave him a bit more to work with. After a moment, he found something in the notes. Jou was on suicide watch. Seto's eyes widened at the sudden revelation. He couldn't believe that someone like Jou would really try to kill himself. Underneath was his reason for everything. His father had killed himself. Seto didn't know what kind of relationship Jou had had with his father, but he knew that something like that could easily drive someone to depression.

Seto came into the mansion and immediately received a strange look from his little brother. He looked down at Mokuba with a small smile, giving him a hug like he usually did when he returned. Mokuba didn't mind, but he wanted to know why his brother was already back home.

"Big brother, how did it go?" Seto sighed and rubbed his temple.

"It happens that I'll be working with the Mutt. I ended up getting very frustrated and left. It's Jou's body, but it's not him. It's like he's an empty shell or a puppet." Mokuba looked a little surprised by that.

"Odd. Seto, remember, the reason you're a counselor there is because someone needs you. In this case, that someone is Jou. He wouldn't be there if he didn't need help. Try your hardest to be patient Seto. I know that's not easy for you, but I know you can be when you want to be."

Seto nodded. Perhaps he had just needed that peptalk from Mokuba. His little brother had always been an expert in making him feel better. He gave a soft sigh as he thought of the stupid mutt. How was it that he had ended up in such a place? Why did it seem like his friends no longer gave a damn about him. His father had committed suicide according to his information. It was like everyone in Jou's life had decided to just up and leave him. Seto wasn't going to be one of those people. The mutt couldn't get rid of him that easily.

He knew that his frustration level would probably grow with Jounouchi before they made any progress. The idiot had a way of getting on his nerves. Sometimes Seto swore that he did it on purpose. He sighed as he sat on the couch, placing his head in his hands. This was going to be hard... harder than he had thought.

* * *

Jou hadn't paid much attention to anyone or anything that had been going on around him. He had simply forgotten. Somehow, the blond had managed to block out his friends, his family, the man that he had fallen in love with. No matter how much he wanted to think differently, in the end, everyone was just going to leave him. He was just a worthless mutt. No one would want to stay for him. Even his counselor, who was supposed to help and support him, had left in the end. Jou was at a point that he could never return from. Perhaps he wasn't meant to return. He was so deep in his own depression that nothing could get through to him. He had been almost certain that he had heard Kaiba's voice earlier, but as he continued to ignore it, it too faded away into nothing. Just like Jou. Soon, Jou would be nothing.

He never stopped staring at his hands. He had never gone to sleep. He just sat there, staring at his hands, no reason to really move, think, or speak. A few people had come by, but like everything else, they disappeared. He was alone. Always alone, always invisible. No one wanted him anymore. No one cared what happened to him. Why couldn't he just kill himself? After all, who was there to care that he existed?

* * *

Seto returned to the center the next day, more determined that he had been the day before. Instead of talking to the woman at the front desk, who did nothing except piss him off, he headed straight for Jou's room. The blond hadn't moved an inch. Seto sighed as he though over how to try and get through to the mutt. Then an idea popped into his head. In his deck was Jou's Red Eyes.

* * *

_-Flashback-_

_Seto and Mokuba were out shopping for some new school supplies. The brunet was not too happy about being out and about, but he could never bring himself to say no to his brother's pout. So he found himself at the store, waiting impatiently while his brother picked out everything he needed and then some. Seto decided that since it was Mokuba, he would spoil the kid a bit, though he reminded him several times that it wasn't going to happen often. He didn't want his brother to think he could have anything he wanted without working for it._

_They had walked to the store due to the gorgeous weather. Seto had hoped that he might get away with a quick ride to the store and back, but Mokuba insisted that the fresh air would do him some good. He had agreed, though irritably. Now the two brothers were on their way home. They passed a pawn shop, and something caught Seto's eye. In the window of the shop was a familiar card, one that he had seen many times when he faced a certain duelist. Jounouchi Katsuya had never won against Kaiba, though a few times he had come close. Seto didn't know what possessed him to do so, but he went into the shop and picked up the card._

_Mokuba had noticed, and he had pestered his brother all the way home to tell him what he had bought. For some reason, Seto wanted to keep it to himself, though he wasn't really sure why. He put the card in a pocket, careful not to bend it. Perhaps it would come in handy someday._

_

* * *

_

That had only been a couple of days ago, and Seto found it strange and coincidental that he had bought Jou's favorite card, and now was suddenly having to pull the blond out of a tight spot. This card seemed like it could be the answer if used properly. Seto sat down next to Jou, not looking at him, but instead at the bed. He placed the card down, and watched out of the corner of his eye as Jou snatched it up and held it to his heart. That was the reaction that Seto had been hoping for. He placed a hand on Jou's shoulder, speaking in a low voice.

"I'm not going to give up on you Mutt. Not like your so-called friends." He was going to be sure that the dog got the attention he needed, even if it exhausted Kaiba. He was determined to get back the mutt he knew, the idiot that never gave up, never backed down, and didn't know when to shut up. He spent the entire day just sitting there with Jou, talking nonsense to him about different things. Seto relieved stress that was pent up from work, told Jou about his own past, and read something to him. When night fell, Jou had moved only a little from his spot. Seto got up and laid him down, pulling the blankets over the smaller male.


	6. Chapter 6

I am back with an update! I hope that this is longer and better than the last, and hopefully warrants more reviews than the last. I love to hear everyone's opinions, and from reviews comes inspiration (and cookies)! I do apologize for the billions of flashbacks, but for the most part, they _are_ of some significance. Apparently this story has 5 chapters, though I thought it had 3. Either way, I will not update again after this until I manage to hit 40 reviews. That's 21 more. You can do it. ;) Now, to thank those who did review:

DarkAngel048, my very first Beautiful Tears reviewer, who has reviewed every chapter.

Lemonrocker, the reader who apparently stays up all night reading my fanfiction and the fanfiction of others.

Shadowb3e, who was the first to comment on just how badly I beat on Jounouchi in this fic.

Jenni45

Celdria, and the reason Jou puts the blame on himself is because of what he said to his father. He thinks he might have saved him if he just accepted the apology instead.

Mew for telling me just how good my story is, no matter what I think of it myself.

Black Rose Pirate for reviewing my stories all the time and dealing with my spelling and grammar errors, which are too many for my liking.

Usa-san

Ryuusama's disciple for my Christmas present.

Kara, for being the one to ask just how _Seto_ will fare, when all others eyes were focused on Jou.

Blissful Imperfection for being the most amazing friend one can have, and for urging me to continue on with the story, and for giving me the idea for the Grey World.

ShelbyMutou

Dark-Angel-Princess 01 for demanding an update.

Magnetic-Paw

and

YourGothicButterfly

Last time: "I'm not going to give up on you Mutt. Not like your so-called friends." He was going to be sure that the dog got the attention he needed, even if it exhausted Kaiba. He was determined to get back the mutt he knew, the idiot that never gave up, never backed down, and didn't know when to shut up. He spent the entire day just sitting there with Jou, talking nonsense to him about different things. Seto relieved stress that was pent up from work, told Jou about his own past, and read something to him. When night fell, Jou had moved only a little from his spot. Seto got up and laid him down, pulling the blankets over the smaller male.

* * *

_No one ever realizes just how much they think about themselves and their own pain, while oblivious to all the others who suffer with them. No one takes the time to see that broken smile and ask 'what is it that makes you fake a smile instead of showing your tears?' No one ever bothers to look past the automatic response of 'good, and you' to the polite question 'how are you?'. The thing is that no one else cares. They don't see past their own, sometimes even petty problems. Then, when something bad happens, they wonder: 'How could I have stopped this?' The answer is simple. Read the broken smile on their lips, listen to the hidden pain in their voice, look for it in their eyes. It's there. Just like it is in Katsuya. I never thought I would see him like this. He's always been... unbreakable. Sure, he's a mutt, but he was also spirited, and, dare I say it, somewhat gifted, and kinda cute in a completely irritating way. Now... I don't know what he is. Lost? I guess that's the best word I can come up with to describe that expression. I've never really known him to give up so easily. _

_I am not starting to like the mutt. That much I do know. If he was still that loud mouthed idiot that had no idea when to shut up, I would most certainly still be annoyed by him. It's just that being so helpless is not like him. He's never played the victim. Katsuya has always been strong. The fire in those unique amber eyes has left, replaced with something empty and cold. It's the same feeling I get sometimes when I look in the mirror. My eyes are like the Atlantic ocean on the chilliest winter day. And now... so are Katsuya's. What happened to that warmth that I was always so jealous of? I really hope Mokuba doesn't get hold of this again, but they told me that I should write about Jounouchi's progress in a journal of some kind. My question: What progress? He hasn't changed whatsoever in the past few days._

_I wish that I was better at these things. I'm not the right person to be counseling Jounouchi. He needs real, professional help. I've never seen anyone so far gone. I've never experienced such absolute emptiness. How do you counsel someone who doesn't hear a word you say? I suppose I could get some work done while I visit with him. The thing is, I don't even know if my visits affect him in any way. He just sits there and stares into nothingness, a blank stare that could give Hades the chills. I could just read him some of the things about business that are actually interesting. Maybe he'll retain some of what I say, though I'm almost certain that he won't even hear me. I guess it's wishful thinking, but it doesn't hurt to try. Besides, by counseling the mutt, I'm falling behind in my work. Perhaps... if I can get him out of this... trance that he's in, maybe, just maybe I could... No, that's crazy! He's a dog, and I don't want dogs running around KaibaCorp! Still, I need a rep that's more socially presentable than myself. Perhaps if the m-... Jounouchi cleans up well enough, he might just have what it takes. I can't find anyone else to fill the position, and at least, if nothing else, he has a nice smile... I did not just think that! Or write it! Disregard that last statement because I'm too damn lazy to erase it right now! (A/N: Or maybe he just doesn't want to.) Well, I think that's it for today. I'll be back tomorrow with another update about how little progress Jounouchi has made._

Kaiba stared at his journal entry. He didn't have much faith in Katsuya recovering to tell the truth. It seemed like he had completely shut himself out from the world, just withdrawing into his own mind where, Kaiba was sure, things were much simpler. He didn't know what could have been so terrible that the blond could no longer cope with the outside world. Jou had never been one to allow things to get him down. At least not as long as the eyes of his friends were on him. This was no longer the case. The CEO couldn't honestly say that he knew what it was like to be alone, but he did know what it was like to feel like he was all alone.

It was one of the worst feelings one could have. The flow of emotions when he felt alone were so powerful, so overwhelming, and they were extremely hard to cope with. So that must be how Jounouchi felt as well. Kaiba sighed softly to himself and thought about what he could do to get through to the mutt. There were so many possibilities, but none actually generated an outcome. Each scenario ended in the mutt sitting there on his bed, not saying a word to anyone. Still, the CEO was determined to at least get his attention. Seto didn't honestly know if he would be able to stand Jounouchi's icy gaze again. He had to bring back the fire. That was certain.

* * *

Jounouchi's world was gray. There was no black or white, no good or evil. It was just... gray. He felt pain, loss, sadness. He hurt more than he had ever hurt in his short 16 years. The blond would never have believed that his father leaving him alone completely would hurt more than being raped daily by him. He had never thought that losing such scum could truly impact someone's life. He had been proven wrong. Now here he was... Well, to tell the truth, Jou didn't actually know where he was. He was a hollow shell that was trapped within his own mind with nothing to save him. It was just like the dream that he'd had, the one that Yami had invaded. There was no one to cut through the thickness of his new reality though. He was gone. Jou didn't even really process that of all people, Kaiba had been coming to see him. He had heard that voice that was distant, somewhere in the background, but he didn't know who it was.

He didn't come out for lunch. He didn't move from his current position, even as different people entered the room throughout the day. They would ask him questions, but he didn't hear them. Their words fell upon deaf ears. The thickness of the gray world had scared Jou at first. He had thought that maybe it was like this world where somewhere along the way one would have twists and turns thrown in, and they would never see it coming. However, the more time he spent, the more he realized that nothing changed in this place. They gray world was a constant, and so he sought safety in the likeness of this place.

Jou had felt someone move him to a different position not too long ago, but he couldn't place a time, or a face, or a voice. All he knew was that they had laid him down and tucked him in. He was almost curious enough to focus on the person, to let the gray fade back into the world of color, but he had decided that if he knew, it would simply hurt too much. Instead, he let himself be moved by the mystery person. He didn't even have a clue why they were visiting him. Perhaps it was just out of pity. He thought of the way his friends had treated him, but... there was nothing. The only face, the only person he remembered was his father. He'd had friends... hadn't he? Wasn't that why he was hurting so much? Jou realized that he couldn't remember why or how this had all happened. All he remembered was that for some awful reason that had to do with his father, this was where he had ended up.

He didn't do anything as the door opened once again, revealing a face that was shrouded in gray. Just like always, there was nothing else there. Then he heard a voice, gently speaking... something, though he didn't know what. He couldn't make out the person's words. He knew that there was another presence in the room, but Jou wasn't ready to come to reality. Hell, if he liked it enough, he might stay eternally in the gray world, where he was safest. Nothing in this place could ever hurt or betray him. But then... something about that voice was so inviting... He could hear it, though he couldn't place it. It was smooth and confident, blissful to his ears. And if he listened closely, he could hear a very slight broken tone... Who was this broken person who came to see him? What was it that they wanted with him?

* * *

Seto was back again. He couldn't help but feel that his presence here was completely useless, but he couldn't give up. There was just no way. He had an idea. Something told him that this place wasn't helping the blond out very much. This center was just making things worse for him. And that was when he got an idea. Seto stood up and then helped Jou to his feet. He led him one step, but almost immediately, the pup stumbled and fell. He was quick to catch the smaller boy. The brunet shook his head and picked Jou up, holding him bridal style. In a different situation, this would have been extremely embarrassing. He walked by the secretary, who looked up when she saw Kaiba carrying him.

"Um, what do you think you're doing Mr. Kaiba," she asked in a I'm-too-good-for-you-and-this-job tone. He glared at her, and when he spoke, his words were vicious lashes.

"I am bringing this boy outside where he won't be so suffocated by you insufferable fools. If I had to stay in a place like this all the time, I would probably be in the same position. So how about you shut your over made face up and leave me to my methods?"

She looked appalled, but she did precisely as he asked without so much as another word. Seto smirked and brought Jou outside, going over to a large willow tree that was on the property and placing Jou down in a sitting position, then sitting himself. He looked at the other in the light, and realized that along with being dangerously thin from not eating, he was also extremely pale. Jou had always had a slight tan that made his features just that more alluring, and the pale look didn't do his puppy the justice that he deserved. Seto mused over his thoughts, smiling on the inside. _His puppy. _What was the point in denying it now? After all, Jou had gone crazy, and Kaiba would probably never get him back. A painful thought, yes, but Kaiba wasn't the type to sugarcoat things, even when it came to his own personal life. That would just make things worse.

He watched something flicker in Jou's eyes, almost as if for just a second, he was conscious. However, Seto decided to dismiss it, figuring that it had just been his eyes playing tricks on him. He wasn't going to give into the false hope that Jounouchi was going to be okay. The way he had suffered, he was surprised that Jou was even slightly responsive. The brunet had noticed that whenever he would enter the room, that messy blond mop turned in his direction, though the look he was met with was always distant. Still, it was never quite blank. If that had been the case, then that would have truly meant that Jou was broken, and there would be no point in trying to counsel him at all. At least knowing that he would acknowledge the CEO's existence was enough to keep Kaiba coming back, which he was finally admitting to himself. A mutt that didn't do anything besides sit there and stare into space was better than no mutt at all.

Kaiba felt a tug at his heart. How could he think that? Jou would never argue with him again. Oh, how he loved to get a rise out of Katsuya. He was too funny when he was angry, and though he could be a complete idiot, it just made him that much more adorable. Cheeks red from anger, though Kaiba had imagined it before as being from... other things. Damn, now he was realizing just how sick he was, fantasizing about Jou when the blond was truly in trouble. He sighed and pushed his thoughts away. Even if he knew it was impossible, he just had to try. Jou wouldn't come back to him, but if he gave up on the mutt, then what kind of person was he. Kaiba sighed and shook his head, and suddenly noticed that he was being watched... Well, he thought anyways. There was really no way to be sure. However, when he made eye contact, that distant look came back, and Kaiba groaned.

"I'm beginning to think that you take delight in torturing me Katsuya," he said quietly as he watched the smaller male.

"Yeah," was Katsuya's hoarse response. Seto's eyes widened when the blond spoke. Granted it wasn't his normal voice, and he still wasn't there with Seto, but off in his dream world somewhere. Still, it meant more than even the brunet himself realized. Jou was alive somewhere in there, and that one word had been enough to rekindle the flame known as hope to the CEO. Perhaps Katsuya wasn't completely gone after all. Perhaps he was just on vacation...

* * *

Jou had felt himself being helped off the bed, and he looked around, but the person that was there was blurry and it was if a dark grey cloud swirled around them. He was a little surprised by that, though it didn't show from his expression. Why was this man covered in darkness? Was it a man? Jou was pretty sure, but they could have been female, or even been a monster. He thought of Kaiba, and how if he was there, he would say there was no such thing as monsters, even with all he had seen. To be honest, Jou was pretty certain that Kaiba did believe, but he just loved to annoy Yuugi and the others by calling what they believed in bogus. Jou couldn't blame him there. Even though Yuug' had been his best friend, he could easily get annoyed by the short kid. His innocence and naivete was enough alone to bother the blond.

Then there was Yami, who, in reality, did all the dueling for Yuugi. Yeah, Yuugi had beaten him once, but what if, like it often was with Jou, that had just been luck? Jou thought about the deck he'd once carried with him, and how it had had a gambling theme. It had never really bothered him until now. He wondered if such a theme was just a cruel twist of fate, or if it existed just to show him that he really was like his old man. There was a sigh from the blond, but whoever that person was with him in the room didn't catch it. Perhaps, event though that oddly familiar voice had tried to reassure him that they cared, they had been lying. Wouldn't they have noticed if he was seemingly somewhat conscious, seeing as he hadn't been for... how many days had it been now? Had it been a week? A month? A year? He had no way to be sure. In the gray world, time didn't really seem to exist. The only thing that seemed completely solid in Jou's safe world was the teen himself.

He felt himself fall. Jou waited to feel the impact of himself hitting the ground, but instead, he felt two strong arms around him. If this person was female, she had to be a body builder of some sort. Dead weight wasn't exactly easy to lift. Suddenly, he was being carried. He didn't move, even though he badly wanted to curl to the warmth of the other body and suck in that sweet smell of cinnamon and nutmeg... Who was it that he knew that smelled like that. Someone... who he didn't get along with. But because Jou had once been in a gang, there were honestly a lot of people that he really didn't get along with, though he had tried to make amends. Still, he had been a bully before he met Yuugi and the gang. The one good thing that had come of being their friend was that he had mellowed out a lot. Still, if he had known that they were going to treat him in such a way, then he would have never allowed himself to get so close to them.

He knew he was being carried somewhere, but he had no idea where. Jou sighed, hoping that maybe someone would dump him off a bridge or something. He didn't want to go back to his room. He didn't want to be in this place. The blond sighed when he heard some witch who he was pretty certain was the secretary asking the person carrying him what they were doing. He expected her to say that he _had_ to go back to his room, but instead, he heard them telling her off. Suddenly Jou had a new respect for this mystery person who was shrouded in grey. Perhaps he could catch a glimpse of who they were. Jou tried to focus, but the cloud wouldn't clear. If anything, it just got worse. He tried to sigh, but even breathing was taking a lot of energy. Jou was frustrated with himself. He had withdrawn to far into this place, and he had been here for too long. He wasn't sure that there was a way back out. Jou wasn't even sure if he _wanted_ there to be a way out.

He could feel himself being set down in the grass. They were outside, and he knew that the other person's eyes were on him. He tried to react, to reach out for them, but his body wouldn't move. It was as if he had lost control over it. The blond sighed and looked around his grey world. Did he want to leave this place? He was surprised when a path that was metallic black appeared before him. Around it were blood red flowers with black stems. He stared for a moment. It was so strange to see color in the grey world. Well, besides grey. Black, that made sense. But the vivid blood red color of the flowers was enough to make Jou long for the world outside of this place, where even though there was so much evil, pain and hurt, there was also love, beauty, and happiness. In the grey world, there was only sadness. Nothing else existed here for Jou. He watched the path, and suddenly, half of it changed color. This baffled him. He stared as it lightened to metallic silver, creating a strangely beautiful contrast. On the side where the silver part of the path was, the blood red flowers turned to a brilliant cobalt blue. Jou didn't know what to make of the colors invading this world. He knew for sure that even though this path had appeared, no more color would come to the grey world. This path led to another place, one he wasn't sure he was ready to go back to.

The path flickered before Jou's eyes, and he felt it in his gut. This was his only chance out of this place, otherwise he would be stuck in the grey world forever. This was Jou's chance to find out who had been talking to him for... he still had no judge of time. But the point was that they had been talking to them. It was his chance to find out who had actually been there to catch him when he fell. He knew that this path reminded him of... something. What was it. Red and black... It meant something to him. It had to, otherwise it would never have appeared on the path. But what about the silver and blue? What did those mean? He sighed and shook his head. He knew that if he didn't focus on it, he would lose the path, and he might never get out of the grey world.

He looked to one side of him. It was blurry, but there was a small piece of the outside world. He squinted to try and get a better look, but it didn't work. Suddenly the magnificent colors were thrust from his mind. He was beginning to feel like that Greek guy from the myth who couldn't look back at his wife while they walked the path from the Underworld back to the surface. He just had to steal a glance of the woman, to make sure that she was really there. And because he had not been able to follow the instructions that he had been given, she had been lost to him forever. (1) He now realized that the path was going to taunt him with glances of the outside world. Jou could take a quick peek, but if he looked too long, then the path before him would fade and he would be stuck here forever, with only taunts of the world he had left behind to bring him peace. He didn't know that the path appearing had brought back a quick flicker of fire to his amber eyes, and that the mystery person who was taking care of him had noticed that flicker.

He heard that voice again talking to him. They were under a willow tree, which was Jou's favorite kind of tree. Weeping willows were the most beautiful of trees, the way their branches hung over one's head, the branches lightly brushing his hair as he walked underneath, taking comfort in the privacy. He wasn't sure how he knew where they were to be honest. He wasn't anywhere near the exit to the Grey World yet. Jou was still on the path, looking around, though he never let his eyes stray from up ahead for too long, not wanting to lose his way out. _I'm beginning to think that you take delight in torturing me Katsuya,_ he heard someone say. Jou was surprised when he came out with a simple 'yeah'. He was sure that this mystery person was just as surprised as he was.

* * *

Seto watched Jou for awhile as they sat under the willow tree. He had leaned the blond against it and folded his arms over his stomach. Jou looked comfortable, or at least, Seto thought he did. He couldn't really be sure seeing as the teen's expression never changed. There was a sigh from the brunet as he kept an eye on his "assignment". If he was to be completely honest with himself, he was glad that he was the one dealing with Jou. Kaiba had been in that dark place before, though he had never retreated into himself the way his puppy had. It was obvious that they handled their pain differently, but in a way it was the same. Kaiba had been abused at the hands of his stepfather for several years before Gozaburo had "committed suicide". The memories from that day always brought a twisted smirk to the brunet's face. His stepfather had gotten what was coming to him.

That was another way in which the two boys differed. Jou had taken his father's suicide pretty hard, while Kaiba had been the one to cause his stepfather's death. Perhaps it was because it was only natural to love one's family, and Jou's father was his _biological_ father. Gozaburo was just an asshole who needed an heir. To this day, Kaiba regretted the chess game at the orphanage. It could have been anyone. Why did it have to be Gozaburo. Mokuba would often remind him that he probably wouldn't have won if he hadn't cheated. Seto knew he was right, and he couldn't change the past. Dwelling on it wouldn't help himself or his pup. However, if he took his own situation, applied it to the pup in some form, and then analyzed his reactions, he might be able to break down just why Jou was like this, and perhaps he could bring the blond back. If Kaiba could only see into Jou's mind, then he would know that Jou was slowly on his way. He was hurrying down the seemingly neverending path.

Seto ran a hand through those soft blond locks and shook his head. He would bring him back. But for today, he had to go. Mokuba would be out of school soon, and he had promised that they would go out to dinner. He repeated the act, not really wanted to leave his puppy. He also refused to cancel on Mokuba. Kaiba sighed and picked Jou up. He carried him back into the place that he had started to look at as a clinic, and he sent a glare the secretary's way. She didn't seem so keen on flirting with him anymore, which made him smirk. Like he would ever pay attention to a bitch who wore too much makeup anyways. Now if she had been a bit kinder, he might reconsider. Kaiba might seem indifferent on the outside, but on the inside, his brain turned like clockwork as he summed up the people that he came face to face with, whether it was just a one time casual meeting, or on a day to day basis. The expression on his face made it impossible to read him, and that was exactly how he liked it.

He looked down at Jou as he brought him to his room, pushing open the door with his foot and bringing him in. There was a small shiver from the blond, which surprised the person holding him. Kaiba chuckled slightly and pulled back the blankets, putting Jou into his bed. He covered the smaller male and watched with a soft smile. Jou didn't move or curl up, but just laid there completely still. It didn't bother Seto at all. He knew now that there was a way to bring Jounouchi back to him. He just had to find it, and he sure as hell wasn't going to quit on Jou, not even once he ran out of options. Kaiba looked at the clock. He still had a few minutes before he had to leave. The brunet laid down in front of Jou, placing his hand on the smaller male's side.

"I'll be back tomorrow Pup. You can count on it. Behave for them while your master is gone." He chuckled softly and ran his hair through Jou's messy mop of hair one more time before leaving the place.

* * *

Jou was being carried again sometime later. He wish he had a better sense of time. Unfortunately, any clocks in the Grey World were blurry, shrouded in clouds as the mystery person had been. Time simply didn't exist here, and to be honest, it was starting to bother Jou. He didn't want to live like this anymore, never being certain of his surroundings, never knowing who this person that stuck by his side was, never being able to see the colorful world that held so much good and bad in it. If he could get through this, Jou knew that he could get through anything. He just had to make it back. He was growing tired though, and he wasn't sure if he would make it much longer before he fell asleep. He needed to reach the end of the path before he fell into slumber.

He felt the person carrying him bring him back into that place. The blond frowned. He had hoped that he would be free of the center, but it appeared that the mystery person was bringing him back there. He shook his head, but his body made no such action. Instead, he lay there in the other person's arms, not liking where he was going, but not being able to do anything about it. Jou shivered as he thought about spending another night in this place. That got through the the one carrying him, but they didn't stop. Instead, he felt the familiarity of the room that he had been assigned. Jou tried to close his eyes, but it didn't work. He was placed in his bed. It must have been nighttime, or at least getting close to it then. His fear was that if this person put him down and left, that they might never come back. Jou didn't want them to leave. He didn't want to be alone. They pulled his blankets up over him and tucked him in. He could feel the mystery person laying down beside him, their warm breaths gently caressing his skin.

He wanted to reach out for that person, to beg them not to leave, but the window disappeared, and the path before him was almost gone. He sighed and continued on, as exhausted as he was. However, soon the path was fading, and Jou had only just noticed. He cried out, though only mentally, and as it disappeared, he fell to his knees and sobbed. Why had it disappeared? He shook from anger, sadness, and disappointment, but soon, it only faded to pain. He was going to be stuck here forever. Jou didn't want to stay in this world anymore. He wanted to face the hard times with his once friends, and maybe even his enemies. After all, having enemies only meant that he had stood up for something. He cursed softly and stared ahead at where the path had been. Jou closed his eyes once, trying to will it to reappear, but it would not come back. He sighed and stared at the ground, kneeling there for a long time before he finally decided to lay down and rest. Perhaps it would reappear again someday, and Jou might have another chance to go back to his world. But for now, he was stuck here, where the only emotion that existed was sadness, and the only thing he could see was grey.

The person who had been with him before whispered a promise into his ear that they would return the next day. Jou desperately wanted to believe them, but he had his doubts. He was a useless empty shell. Why would anyone want to be near him? He wondered what it was about those words that seemed so familiar. The person who was there... he could almost remember who it was. However, just as their face was becoming clear, their image faded away completely. He had been so close to knowing who the person was who was coming to see him. Perhaps if he had been able to grasp it, it would allow him a quicker exit out of this place. Unfortunately, that person had managed to slip right through his fingers, though their words lingered in his mind. _All right, _he thought. _Your pup will wait here for your return. _

* * *

Seto felt terrible for having left Jou behind. He wanted badly to bring the blond home, but he could not. Jou wasn't ready for something like that just yet. He needed consistency, and even though he had only been at the clinic a couple of days now, bringing him into the mansion would be too much of a shock. Such an action might make it so that the blond would never come out of his near comatose state. Seto decided that once Jou was doing a little better, he would bring him to Kaiba mansion to take care of him. The pup was more likely to recover there than he was at the clinic, but he had to be mentally stable before that place would ever even consider releasing him. Kaiba wished he could pay them off to bring Katsuya home, but that wasn't what the blond needed right now. However, it only made Seto feel slightly better that he was being supervised 24 hours a day.

Seto was glad that Mokuba had an after school program, otherwise his time with Jou would have been cut even shorter. He was pretty certain that the reason Mokuba had joined was so that he could dedicate more of his attention to the blond. Seto didn't want Mokuba around a place like the clinic, feeling that it could have a bad influence on him. Honestly, he didn't feel much better about Jounouchi being there, but that wasn't really his choice. Seto could only be relieved that Jou hadn't been forced to leave Domino to go live with his mother. Ms. Kawaii had hurt her son when she split him and his sister up. That much Kaiba was aware of thanks to the combination of Duelist Kingdom and Jounouchi's biography. If she fought to take custody of him, Seto would fight right back. She wasn't going anywhere near his Jounouchi.

He sighed as he looked out the window at the passing scenery. The limousine seemed so quiet, even compared to the time he had spent with the empty shell known as Jounouchi. At least the wind had been there to make a little noise and remind him that this was reality, not some horrid nightmare that he was going to wake up from to find out that Jou was okay. If only... Damaged and broken were not words he thought would ever remind him of the blond, even if he had seen through that happy grin that was so often used to mask up the pain and distrust. Still, Jou had been a strong boy who seemed to be unbreakable... until a few days ago. Kaiba didn't notice his driver watching him. He didn't really care either. His thoughts were on a whole different planet.

Seto didn't really notice when they pulled up to the school, though he looked up as Mokuba got into the car. He received his usual hug from his brother, the one person who was allowed to even come near him without getting to much as a scowl, nevermind touching. He saw Mokuba's smile, but he didn't really pay attention. Those thoughts had reminded him of a time when Jounouchi had ran smack into him as Kaiba pulled back a door, which Jou had been pounding on and yelling at Kaiba to open up as he did. The look on the idiot's face had been priceless, and he was tempted to tease him about it by holding him there and... other things, but Kaiba had chosen to ignore the thought, dismissing it as absolute nonsense. At the time, it had baffled him, though the reason that he had thought so much about Jounouchi was now clear. He wondered if he had been sooner to act, if perhaps Jou would have never ended up in the clinic to begin with. Maybe Jou would have moved into the mansion and lived with the Kaiba brothers. His father would have stopped abusing him. Hell, he could still commit suicide for all Kaiba cared.

Mokuba looked worried about his brother, and he gently tugged his sleeve. Seto was pretty lost in thought and didn't even notice when Mokuba did so. The raven haired boy sighed and looked around the car for a moment, then found what he was looking for. When Seto wasn't dueling, he kept his blue eyes in a safe at the house usually... For some reason though, he had brought it with him each time he went to visit Jounouchi. And now, to Mokuba's utter shock, it was on the floor. Obviously there was something wrong. He sighed and picked it up. Mokuba decided that the only thing that was going to break his brother of this ridiculous trance was a taunt, and he had plenty of those. He thought about what would work best, and then smirked in much the same manner that his brother would. Sometimes it was scary just how alike they were.

"Seto, I'm going to dump wine on your Blue Eyes." That got his attention.

"Mokuba, give that to me!"

"Um... how about... no?"

"Now!"

"All right, all right. Don't have a coniption." The younger of the two looked at the card before handing it back to his brother. If it hadn't been the CEO's most prized possession, Mokuba was sure that he would have ripped it out of his hand angrily, but he was careful and gentle as always... Well, almost always. And then there was Sugoroku's Blue Eyes, which Kaiba had torn up. He held a deep regret for that, though he would _never_ apologize to the old man. Why? Because the old man didn't quite understand what Blue Eyes meant to him. Yes, it was a powerful card, but it was always symbollic of his relationship with Mokuba, who had actually saved him by drawing him a picture of that very card. Not many people actually knew that story. Kaiba didn't allow others into his private life.

"So, how was Jou," Mokuba asked, knowing that that would get his brother to talk.

"He's... all right. He was a little bit responsive today, which I'm quite impressed with. I was beginning to think that he would forevermore be an empty shell."

Impressed with... That meant that it had pleased Seto greatly, or, in lament's terms, made him really happy. Mokuba smiled to himself. His big brother would not admit in a million years that he was happy aloud. That just wasn't how he worked. The rest of the ride to the restaurant was silent, and through dinner, they just talked about what had happened to Mokuba throughout the day. Jou came up a few times, but Seto didn't talk much about it. Mokuba wondered if it was simply patient confidentiality, or if his big brother was bothered by something. He decided not to push the issue. Seto would talk about it if he wanted to. That was how the CEO worked. After dinner was dessert... for Mokuba anyways. Seto had never been that big on sweets, but he knew that his brother loved them, so he was willing to allow it. It was actually a rare treat.

It was already 10 at night when they got home that night, no thanks to city traffic. Kaiba couldn't remember the last time it had been that bad. He didn't blame his driver. If it had been really important, then he might have been a little upset, but Mokuba's bedtime was 10:30 pm, and Kaiba didn't have work in the morning. Even if he had, he didn't usually get to sleep until at least 1am. He decided to take a bath before going to bed, allowing himself to relax for awhile. Hot water did the trick to relax the brunet's muscles, and he closed his eyes, fantasizing about being in the large tub with his mutt. He washed up after a little bit and headed to bed, having some of the oddest dreams in his lifetime, which was saying a lot considering he'd had strange dreams all his life, some involving Red Eyes and Blue Eyes doing weird things.

A path made of metallic silver and black lined with vibrant cobalt blue and blood red flowers lined each side. Well, the symbolism was perfectly obvious. The colors coincided with his and Jou's dragons. He sighed and looked along the path. It went on literally _forever_... But what really caught his eye was some distance away, there was a blond puppy dog walking the path, amber eyes looking sad and lonesome. He watched as suddenly the puppy laid down in the middle of the path and fell asleep. Right before his eyes, it morphed into Jou. All right, even as a dog, it had been perfectly obvious, so what was the point of making it morph anyways, Kaiba's logical mind asked. What really got him though were the giant words suddenly flashing before his eyes. They were in block letters and yellowish-green, and they flashed one at a time, reading: 'You have to go back.'

"I am going to go back," he yelled at the stupid words. And that was when Kaiba woke up. If it hadn't been for that dream, he would have slept right through until noon. He now realized that it was simply his mind trying to tell him that it was time to get up and go see Jounouchi. He wondered if the path was what Jounouchi was seeing in his mind... The world around them had been grey. It had been seeping with sadness and pain, and Kaiba had felt overwhelmed. He wondered how Jou could withstand such a place. He was truly strong, that much the brunet was certain of. If it had been Seto, he would have crumbled from the powerful emotions that had washed over him. But Jou was different. He was truly unbreakable. Seto was certain of that now. No matter how damaged Jou's spirit was, no one would ever break him. The thought made the brunet happy. He loved that fiery spirit, the way those cheeks turned red, burning up from anger, the way those eyes lit up with passion... Okay, he was definitely a lovestruck idiot, though he would never be willing to admit that aloud.

Seto arrived back at the clinic, a little on the groggy side. He had passed up his morning cappuccino, deciding that getting to Jou was more important. He felt like the matter of being near the mutt was urgent, though he wasn't really sure of the reason why. Still, Kaiba decided to follow his gut. His driver had him there in just a few minutes, and Kaiba checked in, then headed straight for Jou's room. Jounouchi wasn't sleeping. He was just staring ahead, exactly the same way Kaiba had left him the day before. He sighed and sat down on the bed, running his fingers through Jou's hair. It was always so soft, almost like silk. He wondered why, even when Jou hadn't showered, if always felt so soft... Or had they been showering him. The idea of anyone seeing the blond naked but him made jealousy flare up in Seto.

* * *

Jou had slumbered in the same place for what seemed like years, but he now awoke to find the path slowly flickering to life. He blinked and stood up quickly. The path was back! He had to continue. That mystery person... He could feel them there. They had really returned. He blushed slightly, and the color actually came through, blood rushing to his cheeks as he was touched so lovingly by the other male. He couldn't figure out why the path had disappeared. It bothered Jou that the path had faded away, but he decided not to dwell on that fact. Right now, it was just important that he get as far on it as he possibly could before it faded again. He was running along it, glancing at the flowers every now and again. They were what gave him hope that eventually he would find the way out of here and back into the world of light and color.

He looked up as suddenly something roared overhead, and he was met with onw of his supposed friends. Ahead of him was the Pharaoh, but instead of that usual proud smile, he was sneering in probably the ugliest way imaginable. Jou stared in horror as he got closer and got a better look at the other male. His face was dark, shadows crawled over and around him. his eyes, unstead of the usual maroon color, they were black. Jou's eyes widened in fear and he went to turn around, but realized that if he did so, he wouldn't be able to continue. This was one of his inner demons. He had to face it, or he would never be allowed to leave the Grey World. Jou needed an escape. He wouldn't stay here, and he refused to let some shadow version of the Pharaoh stop him. (2)

"Jounouchi, don't you want to stay where it's safe," a voice that was deep, dark, and evil spoke maliciously. Jou shivered slightly, shutting his eyes tight, and he whimpered. The Pharaoh smirked. How was he supposed to overcome a demon like this? And if this was only the beginning, how much more would he end up having to face? The blond tensed as the other came towards him. He couldn't move. He didn't know what to do. _Pick a flower... _Uh, first of all, where the heck was that voice coming from, and second of all, a flower? Like that was going to do him any good. _You have to trust me..._ Yeah, Jou was pretty sure that whoever was talking to him was nuts. He couldn't even figure whose voice it was. His memories of his friends and the Yamis where clear, but everyone else... Well, he sort of remembered Kaiba. He knew the name, and that they didn't get along, but he couldn't remember what the man looked like or smelled like or sounded like.

"Jounouchi, pay attention, you fool! You are a stupid dog, aren't you?" There was a growl from Jou, which only really seemed to reinforce those words. "You have a choice to stay where it's safe. You were allowed into the Grey World because you can handle the sadness and the pain, and you'll never have to face anything evil or hurtful again. Sooner or later you'll be numb to the sadness, and you can just go about, wandering on through this world without ever having to eat or sleep. You can belong here in the Grey World, become an empty shell to the outside world where all the pain, hurt, and anger exists, where evil runs rampant every minute of every day!"

"You're the one who's evil," Jou yelled, making the shadow cackle. He shivered again, and tears ran down his face. "I thought you were my friend, but it turns out that you're just like everyone else! You don't give a damn about me! You never did!" Another cackle.

"Who would care about a scrawny brat that's never going to amount to anything?" He laughed again, even as tears fell from Jou's eyes. The blond had to be strong. He had to remember that this version of Yami Yuugi had been developed by himself. This wasn't the person who had been his friend. It was the dark shadow that Jou had started to see his friend as when he proved to him that he simply didn't care about him. But even Yami would never go as far as to say something like that. Jou knew that for sure. He shook his head... _Grab a damn flower!_ There was that voice again. Jou's eye twitched. _Fine! _He walked over to the silver side of the path, but the voice spoke again. _No, don't use those ones yet. You need one from the black side of the path. _He sighed and walked to the other side of the path and grabbed a black and red flower.

Instead of holding it though, he dropped it when it started to burn him. Sure, pick a flower. A lot of good that had done him. However, his mind changed quickly as the flower began to morph. His eyes widened, and he wondered just what was going to happen. Yami looked rather surprised himself. Just what was going on here? What was with the stupid flower? He glared at it, only now realizing what was happening. The Pharaoh then turned his glare to Jounouchi. Jou felt himself shiver again as he looked at the other male. He had a feeling that something bad was about to happen? Could one die in the Grey World? He honestly didn't know, and Jou wasn't sure that he wanted to find out. All he wanted was to get back to the world of light and happiness.

* * *

Seto watched the blond curiously. He wondered what was going through the other male's mind right now? Was he really on some sort of path, or was there more to it than that? Maybe his dream had meant something else. He knew that it applied to Jounouchi in some way, shape, or form, but he really couldn't be sure how. The brunet sighed and pulled him close, playing with his hair. That tiny gesture earned him a blush. That made Seto happy. It was the first real response that he had gotten that day. He wanted to take Jou away from this place to bring him somewhere safe. There was a slight mumbling from the blond, and Seto's eyes widened. He couldn't fully understand what Jou was saying, but still, he was speaking, which had Seto ecstatic. Perhaps he was coming to. There was a flicker of fire in those amber eyes again. Seto smiled. He knew that it was going to take some time, but eventually, Jou was going to come to.

He went into the lunchroom and bought some food for the deathly thin puppy, deciding that it was important that he eat. He just hoped that Jou would respond to it. He paid for the food, hurried back to the room, and something dawned on him. He put the tray down and walked over to Jou, looking into his eyes. Somehow, Seto could see exactly where Jou was and what was going on. He wasn't even going to begin to try and understand what he was seeing, but he knew that he had important information. He didn't know how he had acquired the knowledge, but he did know the flowers were lining the pathway for a reason. Seto looked at Jou, who looked completely helpless. He wanted to reach out to the blond, but there was no way he could. Well, he could try poking him in the eye, but Seto doubted that it would work.

"Pick a flower," he said to the blond, hoping that it would get through. He watched the "battle", which was more or less a battle of words at the moment. Seto rolled his eyes. Suddenly he understood why people told him that he talked way too much while dueling. No one wanted to listen to you talk when there was some major event going on. They just wanted to get on with the match. However, in Jou's case, this was necessary. First he had to realize that if he didn't face his demons, then he could never come back to the real world. He would be stuck in that place forever. Seto didn't want that. He didn't want to lose Jounouchi to the Grey World, not when he realized how much he cared for him. Jou had to come back so that Seto could finally tell him the truth about his feelings.

"You have to trust me," Seto said when Jou didn't seem to be taking his advice. He noticed that Jou didn't seem to keen on taking his advice. Seto listened to the exchange between Yami and Jou. Jou would amount to something. Yami was wrong about that. If Kaiba hadn't been smart enough to know that this was simply one of Jou's inner demons, he would have come to hate Yami, and probably Yuugi, even more. He watched the goings on, waiting for the mutt to take his advice. Still, he didn't seem to keen on picking a flower. Well, then again, now that Kaiba thought about it, it seemed crazy unless Jou had the revelation that Kaiba had had. He was pretty sure though that if he told Jou, this idea wouldn't work. Part of this process was for Jou to learn to trust again. _Strange way of teaching him_, he thought to himself.

"Grab a damn flower!" Kaiba was now growing impatient, though he smiled when Jou finally did as he was being told. He did notice however, that Jou was going for the silver side of the path. No, that wasn't right. Something in Kaiba's mind was telling him that Jou needed the other side, the red flowers right now.

"No, don't use those ones yet. You need one from the black side of the path." Seto watched again, looking into Jou's eyes to see the Grey World in which he was stuck. He dropped the flower after a moment, revealing a burn on his hand. Maybe Seto had been wrong. Maybe those flowers were evil, or poisonous, or something else terrible. He stared wide-eyed at the scene, praying something wouldn't happen to Jounouchi. His prayers were answered, and he quickly thanked whatever deity it was that was watching over his pup... in those exact words. Kaiba then turned his attention back to the flower on the ground. He had been right! It was morphing, getting bigger and bigger. Within just a couple of minutes, a Red Eyes, Black Dragon stood before Jounouchi, staring the shadow version of the Pharaoh down.

* * *

1: For those who don't know what myth I'm talking about, google Orpheus and Eurydice.

2: Because I have a feeling I will get this question, no, they are not in the Shadow Realm. The Grey World is completely different from the Shadow Realm.

Lastly, I ask that you guys review, tell me what you think, and what you would like to see in future chapters. And if anyone has any ideas for the story 'Only We Will Know', please message me with them.


	7. Chapter 7

**All right, here's the update as promised, as well as a thanks and shout out to all the reviewers. I will not update again until 70 reviews. I know that's asking a lot, but hey, I made it to 40, so my head just inflated. Lol. If I can get another 30, that'll be awesome, and there will definitely be a new update when it happens. Anyways****, to thank my reviewers who are awesome and got this story to 40 reviews! You guys are great! Thank you so much for reading this story and letting me know that it's worth writing! Thanks to:**

**07WinglessOrphans: **Yes, this update was quicker... I think, but a little shorter and a little less action packed than the last. By the way, I don't get your display name, but I love it! ;)

**Sasu-Sama' Sarukiji-Sempai: **Thanks for the feedback. I read over that review quite often because I don't even remember writing that, but it's one of my favorite parts. Hopefully it's getting even better with each chapter.

**AngelDove: **Yes, the story is sad, but the premise is that not everything in life is as horrible as one thinks. There are always people who have it worse.

**Tearfull Pixie: **For loving the story.

**Magnetic-Paw: **Well, I apologize if I got you in trouble. Thank you for the review, and I'm glad that it sucked you in like that.

**Kishaa: **I see where you're coming from with Jou's friends being evil, but they're not. He still loves them, but he simple resents them at the moment. He feels abandoned. As for the evil versions, they're barriers that his mind concocted that he has to get past in order to advance through the Grey World and make it back to the world of light.

**YgoGeass:** Well, you can see it finally got to 40 reviews!

**sanriolover: **Yep, thanks to a good friend!

**Inyoface: **I know it was extremely angsty when I started it, and I'm thankful that it's not as much now. As for Kaiba's character, I like making him the loveable bastard. It works for him.

**Neon021: **I apologize for any inconsistencies in the story that I did not catch during editing, but I probably will go through the chapters when I have more time and make sure that spelling and names are correct. Thank you for pointing that out.

**Blissful Imperfection: **LOVE CHU! I'm glad you liked this chapter hon. We're both -very- similar in our impatience.

**Amber Dawn-Chan: **Thank you very much for the review. I'm glad you like the story.

**HEsperance: **I'm glad you liked the last chapter. Their interactions are what makes the story what it is!

**Anon: **Wish granted!

**baby-gabby: **Sorry for leaving you on the edge of your seat. Here's another update to leave you wondering some more!

**Dark-Angel-Princess 01: **Wish granted!

**Anonymous:** Sorry, there really wasn't any room for fluff in this chapter, but next chapter, I shall try to incorporate some! ;)

**sazyboo: **They couldn't just leave their best friend like that. They may have been a bit selfish, but their not heartless.

**Ultimate Puppyshipper: **Thank you for being the person to put me at 21 reviews and 40 for the overall story. It means so very much to be able to update again!

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own, nor do I claim to own any of the copyrighted material used in this story. I am not getting paid for this story. It is purely fanfiction!**

**I do apologize for this chapter being a little short! And now, on with the story!**

_~Flashback~_

_"I'm looking at you through the glass..._

_Don't know how much time has passed_

_Oh god it feels like forever_

_But no one ever tells you that forever_

_Feels like home sitting all alone inside your head_

_How do you feel? That is the question_

_But I forget.. you dont expect an easy answer_

_When something like a soul becomes_

_Initialized and folded up like paper dolls and little notes_

_You cant expect a bit of hope_

_And while your outside looking in_

_Describing what you see_

_Remember what your staring at is me_

_Cause I'm looking at you through the glass..._

_Don't know how much time has passed_

_All I know is that it feels like forever_

_No one ever tells you that forever_

_Feels like home, sitting all alone inside your head_

_How much is real? So much to question_

_An epidemic of the mannequins_

_Contaminating everything_

_When thought came from the heart_

_It never did right from the start_

_Just listen to the noises_

_(No more sad voices)_

_Before you tell yourself_

_It's just a different scene_

_Remember its just different from what you've seen_

_Im looking at you through the glass..._

_Don't know how much time has passed_

_All i know is that it feels like forever_

_No one ever tells you that forever_

_Feels like home, sitting all alone inside your head_

_And its the starrrssss_

_The sttarrrsss_

_That shine for you_

_And its the starrrssss_

_The sttarrrsss_

_That lie to you.. yeah-ah_

_I'm looking at you through the glass..._

_Don't know how much time has passed_

_Oh god it feels like forever_

_But no one ever tells you that forever_

_Feels like home, sitting all alone inside your head_

_Cause I'm looking at you through the glass..._

_Don't know how much time has passed_

_All i know is that it feels like forever_

_But no one ever tells you that forever_

_feels like home, sitting all alone inside your heaaaaddd_

_And its the starrrssss_

_The sttarrrsss_

_That shine for you.. yeah-ah_

_And its the starrrssss_

_The sttarrrsss_

_That lie to you.. yeah-ah_

_And its the starrrssss_

_The sttarrrsss_

_That shine for you.. yeah-ah_

_And its the starrrssss_

_The sttarrrsss_

_That lie to you.. yeah-ah yeah_

_Ohhhoh when the starrs_

_Ohhh oh when the starrrrs that liieee."_

_It had been one week since Jou's father had abused him. Kaiba had no idea at the time, of course. For some odd reason, Jou had the strangest urge to tell the CEO, as if he would actually care. However, no matter how many times he played out the scenario in his head, which usually ended in him being held, kissed, and protected by the CEO, he could just never get up the courage to say a word. Kaiba was, after all, the Ice Prince, and Jou just couldn't deal with the disappointment of him not caring on top of the emotional trauma he had recently been put through. Instead, Jou kept to himself. There was just no reason for him to approach Kaiba with his problems._

_~End Flashback~_

Jou looked around himself. So that voice might actually know what he was talking about then. That was a surprise. He was still trying to figure out why that voice was familiar and who Kaiba was, but it wasn't coming to him. The only way for him to push forward and solve the mystery was to face his demons in the form of one of his closest friends. Yes, they had abandoned him, and yes, he resented them for that, but that didn't make them evil. They were just a little inconsiderate as far as Jou was concerned.

He turned his focus back to Yami Yuugi and Red Eyes. Yami seemed shocked at the new presence. Jou was pretty certain that he hadn't expected him to put up a fight. He was in for a surprise. Yami pointed Jou's way, and the next thing he knew, the Dark Magician was behind him, staff aimed and ready for an attack. However, Red Eyes seemed to have noticed, and was quick to sink its teeth into the monster. Jou watched with wide eyes. When the Dark Magician disappeared, he turned back to this deranged version of Yami, who seemed annoyed, though not really phased. Apparently that was only the beginning of what he had up his sleeve.

The battle raged on as Jou used Red Eyes to defeat such tricks as the combination of Kuriboh and multiply. This had to be the most difficult duel of his life. Only once had he ever faced his best friend, and even then it had been hard for him. He had to remind himself that this person was nothing more than a monster, a version of Yami concocted by his twisted mind to test him mentally and see if he was ready to return to the world.

The final monster was Slifer the Sky Dragon. This wasn't shocking to him, but he felt himself tensing up at the god card's presence. Jou had never held one of those cards before. The idea of the card alone was overwhelming, as was it when he had seen it only as a spectator. As he looked onto it now, he was not overwhelmed. Really, he was frozen in fear and awe. However, he heard a cackle that pulled him out of it.

He felt that he was beaten, but Jou had a tendency to underestimate himself, probably because everyone else did. "One card short, one day late..." He shook his head, clearing that thought from his mind. Jou tried to muster up some courage, some will, but he failed. He fell short as always. Jou slumped in defeat. Red Eyes paid no attention to him though. The smaller dragon focused on the god, knowing precisely what to do.

He stood in front of Jou in a protective manner. The blond looked up at him, dull eyes as he chose defeat. Slifer attacked the dragon, but because Red Eyes was smaller, he was able to dodge the attack. The only problem was that he didn't see the second attack coming. It hit his tail, and he growled in pain and anger. Yami didn't say a word. He knew that Jou was as good as defeated. After all, the stupid dog didn't have it in him to fight anymore.

Red Eyes took no more than a moment to recover, and then he was on his guard again. Slifer kept a close watch on him, but Red Eyes still managed to slip past him. The god looked around, trying to spot him with no success. There was a loud roar signaling the dragon's anger, and he aimed his attack at Jounouchi. However, at that moment, another monster stood in his way. Obelisk the Tormentor stood before Jou, his fist colliding with the other monster. Jou watched in shock as Slyfer disappeared. He had never held a god card. Only Yami and... those two other people that he could remember had. He shrugged though. Then Jou remembered Shadow Yami. He looked up in time to see the demon his mind had created disappearing.

Red Eyes came back to him, turning into a drakling and curling up on his head, going to sleep. The blond looked up, but all he could see was the tail that was now draped in front of his forehead. Apparently his hair made a great bed. Obelisk turned into a small statuette of architecture of the same name. Jou grabbed it and put it in his pocket. From there, he continued on this path. Slowly, his memories were coming back. There was a brunet... He really liked that brunet... But that brunet was a bastard. That was how much he had gotten back of Kaiba.

Then there was that voice. It was also the voice of a bastard. However, at the moment, Jou was too distracted to put two and two together. He gave a small sigh as he looked around. The Grey World had gained a small amount of color. It wasn't anything of extrvagant compared to the world of light, but it was far more desirable than the splotchy grayscale that he had been staring at for far too long. The path was clear and bright, and he noticed that it reminded him of something. Maybe that weird, trippy movie with the follow the whatever song in it that Yugi and Anzu had forced him to watch. Jou had had nightmares about munchkins singing and a tornado sweeping him away for months.

* * *

Seto watched quietly, practically holding his breath as he watched. He had placed Obelisk in Jou's hand and then watched it come to life in that strange world that Jou was stuck in. It was strange to think that if someone had told him that they could see what was going on in Jou's mind, and described exactly this, he never would have believed them. To be honest, after all that he had seen, Kaiba just had to believe in magic. There was no other way to explain half the events that he and the others had been put through. Of course, there was always the chance that he was insane and hallucinating, which Kaiba wouldn't dismiss.

He ran his fingers through those blond locks again, which had become more of a habit than anything lately. What was he going to do when Jou was done with rehab? Seto would no longer have an excuse to visit him. Accepting that he cared for the blond had taken some time, but Kaiba had finally managed, though it would take him probably twice as long to accept that he was in love with him. Still, even without knowing that, the temptation to kiss Jounouchi grew stronger. And because that temptation was what drove Kaiba right now, he gently brushed his lips against Katsuya's, curious as to what it would feel like. There was a warmth that tingled against his lips, but nothing else. Kaiba hadn't really thought about it before, but the kiss would have been more satisfying had he gotten a reaction. When disappointment hit the CEO, he decided that the kiss was simply a temporary lapse in judgment. It was probably better if he didn't attempt to do it again.

The brunet felt strange suddenly. What if he was somehow intruding or breaking the rules by watching Jounouchi's ordeal? It wasn't meant to be... confidential, in a word, was it? Then again, if it was, then why would be be able to see it through the blond's eyes. He sighed and shook his head, deciding to dismiss that thought. If he wasn't meant to see it, then he would have no window to view the entire ordeal from. That was what he decided. Kaiba looked up and noticed that it was getting late, and he knew the center would be closing soon. Seriously, it seemed like he had literally just gotten here. Apparently he'd been so engrossed in what was going on with the mutt that he'd lost track of time. Had that battle really taken so long, he wondered a bit. Then again, with the way Jou's version of Yami Yuugi had been talking, it wouldn't surprise him. Kaiba had never realized before just how irritating it was when your opponent wouldn't shut up. He would have to keep that in mind from now on when he was dueling. Kaiba had a tendency to go off on tangents, but it was probably better if he just stayed focused on the task at hand.

Speaking of tangents, Seto had just done it again, though it was a somewhat related matter. Still, it was something he had to work on. Looking up at the clock, Seto sighed and stood. He didn't want to leave Jounouchi here alone, but he had no choice. Mokuba needed him too. Seto's life suddenly seemed more complicated than it had been before. He was split between the two most important people in his life. He wasn't sure when Jou had made that list, but Seto was now certain that there was more to these emotions than he had first realized. Spending time with Jounouchi had caused the small amount of loathing that Seto had felt for Jou to disappear, replaced by something that he had never before experienced. It was love on a whole new level. Seto was in love with the mutt. However, even though he now realized and was willing to accept it, he wouldn't allow anything to come of it unless Jou made it out of this state. Seto just couldn't stand the idea of having his heart broken.

* * *

Jou's eyes widened as the path disappeared again. What the hell? All he wanted to do was finish the goddamn trek back to consciousness, but he couldn't even do that. The blond was irritated, though it only lasted for a moment before he decided that it wasn't worth it. Instead, with a sigh, he went to an area on the path that had a tree and ended up laying against it, going to rest there. It wasn't the most comfortable of places to rest, but it would have to do. He wasn't sure what kinds of other obstacles he was going to face on the way down the trail, but he had a feeling that things were only about to get more difficult. At the same time, it couldn't be much more difficult than facing his best friend, right? Well, that was what Jou believed anyways. And with that thought, he fell into a light sleep.

* * *

Seto was home sooner than he thought he would be, considering the rush hour traffic. He sighed a bit as they pulled up to the mansion. Already Seto was missing Jou, but he couldn't stay overnight, though he had seriously considered. Mokuba probably would have been fine, but Seto didn't want to take the chance. His brother pulled back the door after confirming it was him. He didn't even get yelled out for not using the ridiculously elite and pointless security system, which told him that his big brother's mind was somewhere else. He had probably left it at the clinic with Jounouchi. Mokuba had been worried about the blond ever since he had found out about him trying to commit suicide. His heart had nearly stopped when Seto told him that Jou was the teen he was counseling. Was he really that bad off? And why?

"Mokuba, do you want... pizza... for dinner?" There was a nod from the younger brother. He could tell that his brother just wanted an easy night in, so he decided to make it as simple as possible. They sat in front of the television that night, a rare sight, eating pizza and just 'vegging out', so to speak. Both brothers had had a long day, Mokuba's at school, and Seto's with Jou. He told Mokuba about everything that had been going on with the younger teen lately, and the younger sibling listened intently. His brother seemed to be taken with the situation in a way that actually relieved Mokuba a bit. Seto was starting to care about something else, which was indeed a rare commodity.

After simply chatting with the younger boy for awhile and pretty much ignoring the television, Seto decided he needed to go to sleep. He didn't bother with a bath before bed this time, deciding that it would be better if he got as much rest as he could. He headed to his room and changed clothes quickly. Seto slid under the covers and let out a relaxed sigh, but almost instantly felt guilty. The thought of what Jou was suffering, and the fact that Seto had left him alone made him feel like a terrible person. Jou was his personal responsibility now, even though he had only been assigned this task because of community service. He had decided that he was not going to stop seeing the mutt until he was fully recovered. And until then, Seto would not be going to work either. The vacation was greatly needed anyways, even if in a way he was still working.

The CEO had no idea when he had actually slipped into sleep, but when he woke it was still dark. He looked at the clock. 5am. What had woken him up exactly? It took Seto a moment to remember. He had an idea to help Jou cope with everything that was going on. It would be good for the blond to see his friends, even if he wasn't fully aware of what was going on. At least they might be able to get through to him better than Seto could. After all, the two had never really been close the way that Jounouchi and Yuugi had, a fact that made Seto somewhat jealous and angry. He grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down his idea, knowing that if he didn't, he would forget about it later, and that wouldn't do the mutt any good.

"Not mutt. Puppy," he said to himself. His beautiful, broken puppy. Seto was going to fix him one way or another. With that thought, he fell back into the dream world.

A few hours later, at about 8am, Seto was awake again. He yawned and stretched a bit before pulling back the covers and getting out of bed. The day was perfect from what he could see in the window. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and there were a few clouds that just seemed to add to it. Everything seemed so... green. This was the kind of thing that could put even the cocky, arrogant CEO in an extremely good mood. He went into the large walk-in closet and put out a different outfit from usual. He almost always wore his infamous trench coats, but Kaiba wanted a change today. Instead, he wore a sky blue short sleeved silk shirt and a pair of straight legged darkwash jeans. Seto's hair was as neat as ever after a moment. He pulled on a pair of dark brown sneakers and he was ready to go.

Mokuba was surprised by the change in his brother, though he did notice that Seto was wearing the usual KC belt around his jeans. However, the lack of trench coat was a change. He smiled to himself. His brother had always worn long sleeves due to a past experience that had left his wrists scarred not long after they had moved in with Gozaburo. Apparently his brother finally felt confident enough to show those scars without a qualm. Seto ruffled Mokuba's hair a bit, and a rare smile made its way onto his face. His brother was absolutely beautiful when he smiled, which was probably why it was so rare. After eating breakfast together, Seto gave Jou's friends a call. They were surprised to hear from Kaiba of all people, and even more so when he explained the condition of Jounouchi to them. After all, the two had never gotten along before, so to them, it made no sense that he had been taking care of their best friend. And honestly, Seto didn't feel like the deserved an explanation after the pain they had caused Jou.

He met them each at their house in his limo. Once they were all picked up, Marik spoke up, deciding to be the brave one of the bunch and asked how Kaiba knew what was going on with Jounouchi and why he seemed to care so much. However, Kaiba did not entertain an answer. He didn't feel that they had any right to know, so instead, he stared out the window, something he was notorious for doing whenever he was being driven somewhere. Marik simply rolled his eyes at the lack of answer. However, Bakura wasn't the type to know when to shut up, and he was the one who spoke up next, starting to irritate the impatient CEO.

"Isn't if obvious? Kaiba's really quite taken with Katsuya and is only now realizing it." He laughed a bit, thinking he was simply joking. However, a telltale glare from the CEO said that he was right, and also to tread lightly unless he wanted to be thrown out of the limo and into oncoming traffic. Bakura quieted down after a quick 'sheesh, get a sense of humor Moneybags'. Surprisingly, at least to the CEO, Yami and Yuugi were the quietest of the bunch, imitating Kaiba and staring out the window in deep thought. Kaiba had to wonder what they were thinking about. He wondered if they blamed themselves for what had happened the same way that he believed the fault was his own, but there was no way to be sure. When they pulled up to the clinic, each of Jou's friends seemed a bit nervous to see him. The only one that was currently not among them was Anzu, who had left a couple of days before to begin attending a performing arts school for dance. It must be nice that something good was happening to one of them, Kaiba thought angrily.

Otogi seemed like he was pretty anxious to see Jou, as did Honda. The fact that the two were dating was honestly beyond Kaiba. Otogi was smart and good looking. And Honda was not... Well, at least, he didn't seem to be. The yamis and hikaris made perfect sense though. Then there was Mai and Anzu... Where had that come from? Oh, well. They were Kaiba's least favorite people, and to him, they didn't really matter. They exited the limo one by one, the CEO taking up the rear. However, as they entered the clinic, he took the lead and signed them in as visitors for Jounouchi Katsuya. The secretary opened her mouth to protest, but one icy glare from Kaiba and she knew better than to even bother.

Once signed in, Seto took the lead again, leading them now to Jounouchi's room. When they entered, the gang were surprised by what they saw. Jounouchi was laying there, stiff as a board. His eyes were blank and wide, aimed at them, but looking right through them. In each hand was a card that Seto had given him: Red Eyes and Obelisk. It took some time before reality sunk in. This was totally their fault. They had caused Jou to become... this. Each of Jou's friends blamed themselves in the same manner that Seto believed that he was at fault. However, blame was not going to bring Jounouchi back.

* * *

Jounouchi woke up to what seemed to be a... a somehow bright day in the Grey World. It could have even been beautiful if it wasn't all grey, but brightness was more than Jou could have asked for. However, as he looked above him, he was given a bit of hope. Above him was a green and brown, healthy looking tree. Jou stood and stretched a bit, then turned to get a better look at it. After a moment, he noticed that there was a face in the tree's trunk. It wasn't a face that he really recognized, but it was there. The blond wasn't really sure if he should be creeped out or not. He poked the sleeping tree face nervously. Apparently it wasn't very pleasant upon being woken up.

"Er! What do you want!"

"Uh, hi. My name's Jounouchi." The tree face glared at him. "Um, I'm sorry to wake you, but I was just curious as to who you were."

"My name's Midori. Why?"

"Nice to meet you Midori. What are you doing in the Grey World?" Midori looked around and shrugged.

"Don't have any place better to be." Jou was beginning to wonder if this was another enemy he was going to have to face. He hadn't thought of that before waking Midori up. Or maybe this was a companion sent to keep him company on his trek. Or maybe Jou was just completely wrong and he simply had a piece of wisdom to offer. Jou sighed and shook his head.

"There's gotta be a reason for you being here," he replied. Midori thought for a moment.

"Well, I was supposed to deliver a clue to one Jounouchi Katsuya. And help him along his journey."

"That would be me," Jou replied happily. He had never thought he would be so happy to have companionship.

"Ah, well the clue is that your friends are your foes until you've found what you lost." Midori smiled a bit when he saw the confused look on Jou's face.

"That's not a clue."

"Well, it's the best you're going to get." Jou sighed and nodded. When he looked up again, he was surprised to see the path reappearing. Stupid path. Why did it have to disappear in the first place? If it just stayed there, he might have actually been out of the Grey World by now. His frustration with this place was quickly growing. Nothing made sense in this place, which Jou found completely frustrating.

"Well, we should probably get started now Jounouchi. Otherwise the path will disappear before you can make any progress." It seemed strangely shorter today than it had when it disappeared the night before, which was strange.

"Midori, why does the path vanish?" The tree chuckled.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that. Let's just say it has to do with someone you didn't realize that you cared about... or cared about you. That's all I can say." Jou nodded, but it still just didn't make any sense to him. He didn't remember anyone that well besides his father and the group of friends that had abandoned him when he needed them the most. There was someone missing, he could just feel it, but Jou still had yet to figure it out. As they walked along, he noticed that more flowers were popping up. The blue and white ones were still there, and on the other side now were purple flowers with golden stems. He wondered what those could be for.

As Jou and Midori continued on, a fog rolled in, covering the clear grey sky. Clear and grey... those things just didn't seem to go together. The fog was thick and dark, and Jou struggled to see through it, putting his hand to his forehead. Still nothing. He blinked a bit to try and help clear his vision, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was that he just couldn't see through the dammed fog. It took what seemed like an hour to clear, and the next thing he knew... he was facing two more shadow versions of his friends: Honda and Otogi. Jou gulped when he saw Otogi holding a very familiar dogsuit. Damn did this suck.

* * *

Kaiba watched as the others sat with Jounouchi and talked to him a bit. His eyes would move a bit to 'look' at them, but otherwise, he didn't really react. However, somehow Kaiba just knew that it had helped his puppy to be able to see his friends. He sighed as he waited, becoming impatient about spending time with his puppy. Maybe he should have picked a different day to bring them. All he wanted to go was curl up with Jounouchi and hold him, never to let go. The CEO kept reminding himself that this was for the puppy's own good, and that he couldn't be selfish. He moved to sit by Jou's head while the others visited with him and Kaiba looked into his eyes. He saw... a talking tree... Okay, he supposed that was... well, it really wasn't possible in the real world, but in the Grey World the impossible seemed to come to life. He watched as they traveled together for some time. It was when Jou came across Honda and Otogi, though, that Kaiba became truly engrossed in what was going on.

* * *

**A talking tree? Seriously? I have no idea where that came from! All right, I am going to repeat myself in case you forgot or didn't read the top. Until this story hits 70 reviews, there will not be an update! Please do not send me flames for the amount of reviews I requested. as itis already been a pretty horrible day for me. if i feel that it's taking too long, I will update sooner. if you are going to flame. don't bother reviewing. i really don't need the confidence breaker at the moment. Thank you...**


	8. Chapter 8

**Warning: Any flames will result in me disabling the ability to review anonymously. Gotta love it when one bad apple ruins the bunch. I'm sorry that this update is kind of late and rather short, but I've been dealing with a lot lately between finals at school and my job. Another update will be along shortly. I apologize that I did not respond to reviews this chapter, but I am exhausted and just wanted to get this posted. Well, PLEASE review and let me know what you think. By the way, chapter 9 is already in progress. :) This is just a filler to get me from here to there. **

* * *

The CEO kept reminding himself that this was for the puppy's own good, and that he couldn't be selfish. He moved to sit by Jou's head while the others visited with him and Kaiba looked into his eyes. He saw... a talking tree... Okay, he supposed that was... well, it really wasn't possible in the real world, but in the Grey World the impossible seemed to come to life. He watched as they traveled together for some time. It was when Jou came across Honda and Otogi, though, that Kaiba became truly engrossed in what was going on.

* * *

Why that dogsuit, of all cruel things that his mind could have done to him? Jou stared at it with a frown, already knowing what was going to happen. If he lost this battle, he would be forced to wear that ridiculous thing... forever. Jou let out a very puppy like whimper before Midori grinned at him. The tree knew that Jou would be just fine. This battle between the two was not going to be quite intense as the last. It would be a bit easier in this round, though the next round was going to be even harder than facing the Pharaoh, though it wouldn't be because they were so close. There was more to the next battle than that. Midori mused to himself for sometime before finally one of the two spoke.

"Hello doggie. I have something special just for you," Otogi said with an ugly sneer.

"You'll look so much better with it on," Honda spoke up. Jou watched as the path split into two, each way blocked by one of his friends.

"What the-?"

"In order to continue on, you must answer several random trivia questions."

'Aw great, and my memory in this world is absolutely horrible,' Jou thought to himself as he looked between the two.

"If you fail to answer 3 of 5 correctly, then you will forever more be my servant and entertain me in whatever way I please," Otogi said, his smirk growing. This was already worse than the real world, Jou thought to himself. To be stuck forever with Otogi... A small dose of the pretty boy was fine, but he was far beyond over dramatic and completely stuck on himself, which Jou just couldn't stand. Suddenly he was reminded of someone else who had a tendency to be a bit on the arrogant side, though the face and name disappeared from the blond's mind before he could place it. He sighed and nodded.

"Fine then..." They both nodded.

"The first question: A cat and a dog have superior hearing to humans, but which of the two can hear a full octave above the other?" Jou thought for a moment. He always heard about a dog's hearing, but never a cat's.

"Um, a dog?"

"That's incorrect," Otogi exclaimed happily.

"Next question," Honda spoke up, "In classical mythology, what God dressed as a woman, spun wool, and performed other womanly tasks for 3 years to appease his fellow Gods?"

"Um... Achilles?"

"Nope," Honda replied with a big smile.

"One more wrong, my cute little mutt, and you will have to forever do my bidding... not that I have a problem with that." Jou looked over at Midori, who was watching intently.

"What were Cinderella's slippers made of in Frenchman Charles Perrault's original version of the fairy tale classic?" Jou remembered being forced to read this story while in his Freshman year of high school. It was torture, but hey, at least it was going to come in handy somewhere.

"Fur," he said with a smile. Otogi's smirk changed back to a sneer.

"You may have gotten one right, but that won't stop you from becoming my dog. Next question: Who was the firs U.S. President born outside the 13 original states?"

"Why would that matter to me," Jou asked, feeling a little confused.

"I said _random _trivia questions doggy. Don't worry if you can't answer it. I'll take good care of you." Suddenly Jou heard the voice that told him to take the flowers trying to tell him the answer. _'Abraham Lincoln,_' he heard the voice say. It hadn't been wrong, so he might as well go with the answer.

"Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln," he replied without much confidence. Otogi's sneer turned even uglier as Honda spoke up.

"2 and 2. One more right and you will have to guess the path. One more wrong and you stay with Otogi." Jou nodded. "Last question: What celebrity once appeared in a Japanese applesauce ad?"

"Um... a Beatle?" Otogi smirked.

"That's incorrect." Honda shook his head.

"Actually, that is correct and an acceptable answer if you can give me the first name of the band member." Jou's eyes widened.

"I seriously thought it was a bug! Um... R... No, Paul... No... Um... Um... Um... I'll go with Ringo I guess."

"Correct," Honda said, making Otogi stomp his foot and growl. Jou smiled at his friend.

"I think I should use Honda's path. He seems less likely to try and trick me." Honda nodded and moved to the side.

"Because you chose the correct path, Midori will continue with you." Jou looked completely overjoyed when Honda revealed that perk, while Otogi eyed his partner in crime and decided that he would look just as good in the dogsuit as Jou would. Jou found the idea of those two together weird, but at the same time it seemed to make sense to him. He shrugged and continued with Midori by his side, looking much like a happy puppy who should be wagging his tail.

* * *

Kaiba was beyond relieved that that session of trivia was over. He had been afraid that Jou was going to fail miserably, and for some reason, he had only been allowed to interfere once. Jou had never really been the best in school, always slacking and sleeping. It took Kaiba a minute to realize what exactly had happened. He was relieved when Jou was able to get the other two question. To lose his puppy to Otogi would simply be too much on the young CEO. He pulled the blond close to him, holding him tightly. Something about holding Jou made Seto's heart flutter. He needed to pull Jou out of this so that he could at least see if his feelings were reciprocated in any way.

* * *

Midori smiled at the blond. Jou was happy to have the walking and talking tree with him, though he really didn't understand why Midori was guiding him. They continued in the path, conversing a bit as they did so. Jou was surprised when the path suddenly seemed to become narrower. It was the first sign of nearing the end that he had seen since this journey had begun. The blond looked up at the tree, who seemed to have a knowing smirk on his face... a smirk that was somehow... familiar. Jou felt himself growing agitated at it, like he wanted to yell and scream, throw insults and argue with Midori. He felt terrible for having such a reaction to someone who was trying to help him, but Jou just couldn't help himself. Something about that smirk just made him want to go crazy. However, after a moment it faded away and Jou had to wonder if maybe he had simply imagined that familiar expression.

"Jounouchi Katsuya, the road only gets harder from here. No one can help you unless you choose to help you yourself. You have suffered much in this life, but if you can return to the world of color, then I promise that you will be rewarded." Midori was speaking in a cryptic manner that Jou did not particularly care for, but he decided that what the tree said was important, so he thought those words through carefully. Indeed it seemed he had simply been born to suffer. The time that he had been ripped away from his sister by his heartless mother had been the beginning. At first, the elder Jounouchi did his best to take care of him, but eventually, alcohol and gambling became the norm. Then eventually, his father sleeping with him became routine, and Jou acquired multiple injuries. His father's death had simply been the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak.

But it seemed that there was a ray of sunshine that Jounouchi had forgotten about, and even now, he couldn't seem to remember him... Yes, it was certainly a him, and a him that Jou didn't exactly get along with. Still, something about this guy made him smile and feel oddly warm and fuzzy. If he could just remember that one person who seemed to be the one lighting up the Grey World, the only person that Jou felt that he could trust... if that was the case, would the path finally end? Would Jou finally be allowed to exit this world? Yes, the other world held pain, sadness, and tears, but with those things also came happiness, love, friendship, and _him..._ But who was _he_?

* * *

Seto Kaiba had to leave the clinic a bit later, mainly just because he was hungry. He had already spoken to a few people at the clinic, and they had decided that once the blond woke, he would be allowed to go home with Kaiba, as it seemed that the brunet was the only one who could really even get through to him. Kaiba was honestly relieved. He hated being in places like that he had to see so many depressing sights. It reminded him of what he went through as a child, but he couldn't allow that to affect him when Jounouchi's recovery seemed to be resting with him. Kaiba sighed and went to grab food from across the seat before returning. He ate quickly and then laid back down with Jounouchi. Of course, he had forgotten that the entire gang, all Jou's friends, were right there with him. They saw him cuddling the blond, and suddenly they had all these ideas that Kaiba and their best friend were... well, that they were something they were not. That was not Kaiba in denial. He wanted to be something more with the blond, but how could he be when he couldn't even get through to Jou to find out if he liked him or not.

* * *

Jounouchi Katsuya looked around himself. Where was Midori... everything had suddenly turned black and cold... he seriously thought that he was nearing the end of the road. Jou thought back to the challenges he had faced before. They had both been difficult. What was happening now? Was he going to be stuck in the Grey World because he had done something wrong. Jou felt a chill run up and down his spine. The wind picked up, kicking up blackish grey leaves. Jou looked around, feeling his fear growing. The next thing he knew, Midori was in front of him, and he was transforming. Jou watched, unable to breathe. He was shaking now, not knowing what to expect and scared out of his mind. He heard a snapping and Midori split into two. Each of them smirked. Then they split into two once again, making 4 people... the two middle ones split once more, and Jou was looking at 5 of his friends and a person he recognized only now.

Before him stood Yuugi, Mai, Ryou, Bakura, Marik... and Seto Kaiba... His name was Kaiba. They fought like cat and dog, and Kaiba often referred to him as a canine. It all came flying back to him, including the unrequited feelings he had long harbored for the brunet. Jou was in love with him, and he knew that whatever task these 6 presented, it was going to be difficult. Even worse was the fact that he had grown close to his guide before the tree had split into 6 grey or shadow versions of his friends. These 6 didn't look as menacing as the others, however Jou knew better than that. He knew that the most challenging part of the Grey World was about to come. He had no clue that the real Seto Kaiba and the rest of his friends were witnessing this firsthand through his eyes.

"I wasn't kidding when I said this was going to be the hardest part," Kaiba said in a tone that Jou was not familiar with. "We will begin with Ryou." The British boy walked up to Jou and looked up at him, Bakura standing not too far behind.

"Jounouchi, you will name one thing that you do not like about yourself and one thing that you do not like about me as your friend. Because my favorite card is Change of Heart, I have the ability to change one thing that you do not like about yourself, but only one... Each of us can do one thing to help you through this, but you must choose carefully. Once you've asked for something, you can't take it back... and you might end up dueling the person for which you asked for the gift... So tell me, old friend. What do you want?"


	9. Chapter 9

**So I'm back with this new chapter finally! Yay for new chapters, and sorry it took so long! :3 I'm looking forward to feedback this time. What REALLY happened with Jou's friends is explained here, and guess who's about to make it out of the Grey World! Woot for the stubborn mutt!  
**

* * *

"Seriously. Any one thing that I want to change, I can? But... how does it work?"

"Well, Jounouchi, it depends on the request," Ryou replied with a small smile as he looked at the blond.

"I... There's just a few things I really want. One... is to be a virgin again. Would you... be able to do that for me?"

"Yes. That doesn't mean that what happened in the past will disappear. It means that simply that your purity will be restored. Do you understand?" Jou nodded.

Jou didn't feel any different when it was restored honestly. He still felt like the same old Jou. Next was Mai. The Harpie was rather easy for him to beat down, which actually surprised the blond, and he grinned like crazy.

"All right, what is it you want Joey?" He continued to grin.

* * *

Seto Kaiba, who had been a spectator throughout Jou's entire ordeal, suddenly saw the world of color fading to grey as he was pulled into Jou's world. He looked at himself, now a strange shade of grey, and shook his head before looking up and around himself. The brunet pretended he didn't really care about what had happened, but he found himself rather irritated. Why had Jou suddenly pulled him into this strange world. It probably had something to do with the challenges that the blond was facing...

* * *

"Well, instead of being childish... I want you guys to be as supportive of me as I am of you when you are dealing with hardships." Mai nodded.

"Wish granted. However, I feel there is something that needs to be said here. As you fell further into depression Jou, we stayed by your side, but in your mind, you seriously believed that... well... that your friends were abandoning you. Kaiba believes it too, because we haven't been around since you were put in the clinic... since you ended up in the Grey World. We... had no idea where you were until Kaiba came and got us." Jou stared, barely able to believe that his own selfish mind had played such a trick on him, leading him to believe that his best friends had just... left him to deal with everything on his own. At that point, both her and Ryou disappeared. As Jou looked at the next person he had to face, his grin faded. Next up were Marik and Bakura, who were grinning like crazy. He swore their grins were some of the creepiest expressions humankind had ever faced.

"You must draw Ra from my deck of cards in order to proceed," Marik spoke happily.

"And from mine, you shall need Nobleman of Crossout. I would use Change of Heart, but we only get to pick once. You have 3 tries to get the right ones." Jou groaned. What if he got the wrong cards 3 times in a row? However, he failed to notice something about the rules.

"FIne," the blond said with a frown, and he closed his eyes, drawing from each of their decks once they fanned the cards out before him.

"Aw, man! No luck on that one."

"Well, two more turns," Bakura said with a smirk. Jou nodded and drew two more cards.

"Ra! Now I just have to get Crossout!" He fisted the air happily. As he grabbed from Bakura's hand, he drew 2 cards instead of one. One of them was the one he needed, but now he looked at the two Egyptians.

"Uh, sorry..."

"You drew too many cards," Marik exclaimed irritably.

"Actually, neither of us specified how many cards he could take," Bakura said with a smirk. "Well done."

"Stupid mutt," Marik muttered under his breath.

"Well, what do you want," they asked at the same time. Jou thought for a moment.

"For everyone to forgive me and... and Kaiba I guess for thinking that you just wanted nothing to do with me anymore..."

"Easy enough. Your last challenge is Yuugi and Kaiba. Good luck." Jou looked at the two. Yuugi was overly happy as always, so sweet and innocent, while Kaiba was the polar opposite.

"Screw all this funny business." Yuugi just chuckled.

"I don't really have a challenge for you Jou," he said with a sweet smile.

"Yeah, but... I have one for myself. I'm sorry for everything Yuugi... and, uh, Kaiba?"

"Hn..." Jou blushed a bit as he walked up to the taller man, putting his arms around his neck and giving him a small kiss on the lips. It was then that the Grey World began to spin, slowly gaining color. Jou had beaten it. He had managed to come out of it. The blond was suddenly floating over his own body, and after a moment he fell like a bag of brinks onto... no, not onto, but into it.

* * *

Seto Kaiba watched in amazement as Jou opened his eyes, slowly revealing amber hues.

* * *

**Sorry it's such a short chapter, but I really wanted to get this out. :3 The next chapter will be rather long. ^^  
**


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